


A Little More Than Ordinary

by ladyjax



Category: Glee
Genre: Community: polybigbang, Female Character of Color, Multi, Original Characters - Freeform, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-14
Updated: 2010-11-15
Packaged: 2017-10-13 05:16:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 31,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/133378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyjax/pseuds/ladyjax
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a long way from McKinley High School and everyone has moved on to new lives. But sometimes, fate has a way of bringing people around again. In the City that Never Sleeps, Kurt, Mercedes, Puck and, eventually Quinn, are about to find out that when hearts are involved, all you can do is let go and reach for the brass ring.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

2018

New York summers were something that Kurt was sure he'd never get used to even if he was from Ohio. Luckily, the sweltering heat of August had finally given way to the relatively less sweltering heat of September, which meant that he could go with a light button down and khakis and be cooler as well as well dressed

The fact that the Amtrak waiting room at Penn Station was air conditioned helped immensely.

  
He checked his watch and looked down the track. In the distance he could see the lights of what he hoped was Mercedes' train coming. Checking the Arrivals board, he saw the number of her train flashing.

When the train pulled into the station, Kurt took a moment to smooth his hands over his shirt and pants before stepping out of the waiting room and on to the platform. People were stepping off the train practically the minute that it stopped.

  
“Kurt!”

He turned and suddenly found himself with an arm full of best friend. Kurt wrapped both arms around her and they held on, until he said, “You're back”

“Yeah,” Mercedes pulled back and smiled. “Finally. Remind me not to take the train ever again.”

Kurt tucked his arm in hers and they walked toward the exit, Mercedes pulling her rolling case behind her. “I take it the romance of the rail experience is vastly overrated?”

 

Mercedes snorted derisively.

 

“Overrated does not even describe the kid sitting behind me, kicking my seat from Buffalo to here. I've never wanted to kill a child more in my entire life.” She flipped a stray hair from her forehead and squeezed Kurt's arm. “It doesn't matter. I'm here, you're here and life is good.”

They stepped out into the late afternoon sunshine, the city bustling around them. Not for the first time, Kurt found himself energized by the sounds and feel of the city. “Theodora is making dinner. We're supposed to pick up some greens on the way home.”

The pair took the escalators down to the subway level chatting about Mercedes' most recent visit to Lima. “I swung by McKinley to say hi to Mr. Schue. He was getting everything ready for fall.”

“How's the club doing?” Kurt asked, curious about the latest developments on the New Directions front.

“They took Regionals but you knew that already.” She stopped talking as the C pulled into the station. They slipped into the train with the ease of long time residents. They grabbed seats near the back of the car, tucking the suitcase beneath their feet. “Anyway,” Mercedes continued, “Mr. Shue thinks they have a good chance to take Nationals again this year. I didn't really have a chance to ask him about more than that.”

  
They chatted for a little longer until they hit Columbus Circle. "What do you think, Whole Foods?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah, we can get some other stuff for dinner and maybe some wine." Mercedes squeezed his hand. "I'm so glad to be back. It really feels like home now.”

"And Lima doesn't." Kurt finished. They walked out of the subway station and right into Whole Foods beneath the Time Warner building. "You know the last time I went back, it just felt small." He caught up a basket and they moved into the produce section. Chard, kale, and onions went into the basket along some fruit as well. "It's nice to visit but I guess that's what they mean when they say you can't go home again."

"Except to visit," Mercedes said. She dropped a few more items into the basket., conscious of keeping it fairly light since they were also loaded down with her roll away bag. Luckily, they were in and out before the after work crowd. Switching to the #2 train, the rode it until they reached 135th Street. They got off and came up at the corner of 135th and Lenox Avenue, just outside of Harlem Hospital.

Crossing the street, they passed the Schomburg then the Y, turning right on Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard then walking another four blocks to turn left on to 139th Street. The hustle and bustle was slowly left behind as the stately restored brownstones of Striver's Row rose up on either side of them. Not for the first time, Kurt counted himself lucky that he got to live here. After two years of living in the dorms at the Weller School of Music, he had gotten the chance to move in with Mercedes' aunt, Theodora.

As it turned out, this was the best of both possible worlds: Kurt got cheap rent, and Theodora got permanent company. She'd never married but she had had a string of men she called " her gentlemen callers" including Reggie, a cop who according to Jones family lore, had been the great love of Theodora's life until he'd been taken away, not by violence, but by cancer. In any case, it was during one of Kurt's numerous long distance calls with Mercedes that he even found out she had an aunt living in New York City.

"Oh yeah, I always loved going over to Aunt Theodora's when I was little," Mercedes had told him. "She’d have music playing and people over all the time. Usually folks who were playing down at the Lenox Lounge or the Apollo.

Kurt asked, "Are you sure if it would be okay if I lived with her?"

"Kurt, there are white people in Harlem now," Mercedes teased.

"That's not what I meant and you know it." Kurt rolled his eyes, sure that Mercedes could see it. "What I meant is would she be into having someone living there regularly."

Mercedes laughed, "I know exactly what you meant. I was just messing with you. Seriously though, I think she'd love it. She's in that house all by herself and a lot of the folks that she used to know have either moved or passed on. Theodora collects musicians like some people collects beer cans. “

"Well, if you think it's okay..."

"Tell you what, I'll come out over Christmas break and we'll go see her together."

Mercedes was as good as her word. He hadn't been entire sure what to expect when he met Theodora. She topped him by a head and wore her hair in a short sleek natural that was tinged with gray. Her dark brown skin was smooth and unlined making it hard to guess her age. When he finally stopped his perusal, she put a hand on her hip and said, "Seen enough, sweetie?"

His resulting blush only made her laugh and she waved him and Mercedes into her house. "You kids get in here where it's warm." She shepherded them into the living room and served them cookies and tea ("Unless you want something stronger, which I have, just to be neighborly"). Theodora slipped her glasses on and looked at him over the rim. "So, you're Kurt."

"Yes ma'am."

One shapely eyebrow crooked upward and she glanced Mercedes. "You're right, he is a cute one. Young man, my niece tells me you need a place to live."

Kurt shot Mercedes a look but she was conveniently looking in a corner. He'd get her for that later. “ I have a spot in the dorms but if I could find someplace where I could get a little more privacy, that would be great.”

"My brother seems to think that I need looking after. Me getting old and all." Theodora said in a completely dry tone that was belied by a quick wink. "Well, I've got a lot of space and I don't mind sharing so if that appeals to you, you’re welcome.”

  
There were a couple more visits, including one with Burt Hummel who came to the city right after New Year's to see Kurt. Mercedes stayed by his side through the entire process and he was grateful. He'd missed her and it was the most time they'd spent together since she'd gone west to school. Right before the beginning of the spring semester, Kurt found himself moved into a second floor room with a view of the street. As he sat on the bed and looked around, something inside him eased and he knew, at least for the foreseeable future, he was home.

***

They walked through the door and heard, "You two sure took your time getting here." Theodora sauntered out of the kitchen and hugged them both. The heat in the house wasn't too bad; there were ceiling fans in every room which had been installed years before and all of the windows were open.

"We stopped and picked some things up for dinner," Kurt said, holding up his bag. He kissed Theodora on the cheek and walked past to past her to the kitchen. Mercedes hugged her aunt and said, "Good to be back."

"It's good to have you back, niece," Theodora said. "The boy was lonely without you." Mercedes drew back and looked at her.

"I thought he and Liam..." She waggled a hand back and forth. Theodora snorted derisively. "Please, he was gone within days of you leaving. I could tell he was flighty."

Mercedes nodded thoughtfully. "Kurt’ll find someone."

“And you?”

Mercedes cut her eyes at her aunt and said, "What about me?" The older woman put her hand on her hip and was about to start when Mercedes held up a hand. "I know what you meant. There isn't anyone right now and that's probably best. Kurt and I are going to be really busy over the next few months what with work, auditions and us gigging around town. "

Theodora hooked her arm through Mercedes' and they walked toward the kitchen. "It's alright. No rush, no worries. I was just checking in. You two have been pretty much joined at the hip for the past few months getting your things together. I want to make sure if someone isn't taking care of you that you're at least taking care of each other."

Conversation shifted as the three fixed dinner and sat down to eat. Mercedes broke down her visit home and Kurt and Theodora talked a little bit about what was going on in the neighborhood. "Oh, Kurt, you'll never guess who I saw."

"Who?"

"Mrs. Fabray."

Kurt's eyes shot upward. "Really? What's going on with her? Has she heard from Quinn lately?”

“Her moms seems to be doing okay but Quinn hasn’t touched base with her in a while. “

After graduation, Quinn had taken off for UCLA but she made sure to keep in touch with Mercedes. A letter here, a postcard there, the occasional phone call. Her work as a freelance photographer took her all over the country and sometimes out of it. Mercedes had learned not to push too hard with Quinn. If she had something important to her, Mercedes was sure that she would.

  
"'Cedes?"

Mercedes broke from her reverie. "Hmm? Oh sorry, you asked me about Mrs. Fabray. She said she thinks Quinn may be heading this way. I gave her my cell number and yours to pass on to Quinn just in case she needs a place to crash." She looked at her aunt. "I hope that's okay."

"Sounds fine to me. I'm happy to have both of you here and you’re friends, too."

It was growing late after they finished dinner and washed everything up. Theodora retired early, leaving Kurt and Mercedes alone.

Kurt sat at the piano in the corner of the living room and picked out a tune. Mercedes listened for the melody for a moment. She rubbed his shoulder. "Theodora told me about Liam. I'm sorry."

Kurt kept playing softly. "It's fine. It turns out he wasn't really the right one anyway.”

He played for a while longer, and they harmonized a little as they sat together until finally he shut the piano and got up. He held out his hand to her, waiting. Mercedes took it and he wrapped his arm around her waist and they ascended the stairs together. They split at their rooms,. Kurt sat down to work on a bit of melody he'd been trying to finish after he dealt with his own ablutions.

At a certain point, Mercedes slipped inside and took up a spot on his bed. Kurt worked a little longer until he could barely see straight. Mercedes had already fallen asleep by the time he finished. Kurt stripped down to his boxers and slipped into bed spooning with her, his arm thrown over her waist. He went ahead and snuggled closer, knowing she wouldn't mind.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“...and cut! That was great Mercedes. We got exactly what we needed.”

Mercedes lifted the headphones off her ears and hung them on the mike stand. The producer, Peter Dallas, waved at Mercedes who waved back, then his voice came over the intercom. “Why don't come in and have a listen?”

She nodded and ran a hand through her hair before she whipped it into a quick ponytail. When she stepped into the mixing booth, the two other occupants inside began to clap.

“Aw, yeah, that's the way,” Tim Baseheart (aka T-Base) held up a hand and Mercedes slapped it before intertwining her fingers with his. “I knew my girl could pull it off.”

Mercedes snorted lightly. “Your girl pulled it off at ass o'clock in the morning,” she chided. T-Base at least had the grace to look abashed.

“Yeah, well, about that...” he began. Mercedes held up a hand to stop him.

“Sweetie, I've told you. You can't trust any woman who's signs her name with little hearts dotting the 'I's' to be anything less than flaky.” She patted T-Base on the shoulder. “I've got some friends I can call who'd be happy to help you out when you have more work.”

  
The older man nodded. “Thanks Mercedes, you're a life saver.”

Peter started the playback and Mercedes pulled up a chair so she could listen. The back beat had been lowered so it wouldn't overwhelm her voice. She listened closely, hearing where she briefly dropped in pitch when there was a chord change but over all, she was pleased with her efforts.

As the song faded out, Mercedes said, “Not bad.”

“Not bad for you, Mercedes, is pretty miraculous for some other people,” Peter said. “Since you're here, I wanted to go over some dates with you. I have some demo work coming up and I wanted to give you first shot at it.”

Mercedes took out her calendar and twenty minutes later she had several weeks of work lined up. Leaving the studio, she caught a crosstown bus intent on meeting Kurt for lunch.

 

She hadn’t been kidding with T-Base. He was luck that she’d been home when the call came in to fill in for the aforementioned Tami. T-Base’s album was almost done with only some additional backing vocal work and mixing left to do. Mercedes had sung on more than half the album with Tami supplying the rest.

 

Tami proved herself chronically unreliable by either showing up late or not at all. Sensing opportunity in the wind, Mercedes made sure she was on time and ready to go every day she was needed. Nothing wrong with being the go to girl and it didn’t hurt her bank account in the least.

 

Although this was not originally what she envisioned for her road to stardom; that involved very detailed fantasies of Grammy awards and red carpets right out the gate. Instead, she took a more circuitous route: session work. It provided a living along with providing some needed exposure to the real movers and shakers: producers, engineers and other musicians.. At the same time, she had the freedom to create the type of image and music that she wanted to put out.

 

Mercedes briefly flashed on that moment in New Directions where she’d defiantly declared that she wasn’t Kelly Rowland. She laughed softly to herself. Turns out that Kelly had the more resilient career, going to Europe and crafting a brand new image as a dance diva. Mercedes wasn’t quiet ready to leave for the continent just yet. There were a lot of opportunities right here in the city and if she and Kurt played their cards right, they were going to take the world by storm just a few steps at a time.

 

The bus dropped Mercedes off not too far from Penn Station. She passed by one clothing store and stopped to check herself out in the window reflection. Twitching her clothes so they fell neatly around her body, she waved at the window dresser who was watching her with an admiring smile. Then she walked down a few doors until she was standing outside Mssrs. Wentworth and Beck, Gentlemen’s Clothiers.

 

Mercedes wished that Kurt had one of those typical semi-starving musician jobs like waiting tables. If he did, it meant that she wouldn’t have to run the gauntlet of his somewhat bitchy co-workers. But it was a job with flexibility which is what Kurt needed so she tipped her chin up and walked into the lion’s den.

Kurt looked away from his customer for a moment when he heard voices near the front of the store. Hanging his measuring tape around his neck, he offered the older gentleman he was serving a brief smile and said, “I’ll be right back, Mr. Hammersmith.”

 

Mr. Hammersmith nodded. “That’s fine, Kurt. “

 

Stepping out from the dressing area, Kurt saw Mercedes with one hand on her hip and sour look on her face. Considering whom she was talking to, he wasn’t surprised by her expression.

 

Kenneth Smith was an ass at best and a pain in the ass at worst. Among the other sales associates at Wentworth and Beck, Kenneth was considered quite good at his job except for his sour disposition. Not for the first time, Kurt wondered why Cedrick Wentworth, grandson of the founder, kept him on.

 

“Kenneth, I believe there’s some stock that needs tending,” Wentworth’s dry, clipped tones caught the other man’s attention. “I will see to Miss Jones.”

 

Kurt folded his arms as Kenneth stalked past him. “Your hag is here, Hummel,” Kenneth sneered. Kurt barely cut him a look but only muttered, “dick,” as he went by. Shaking his head, Kurt walked forward just as Cedrick caught up Mercedes’ hand and kissed it gallantly.

 

“It is always a pleasure to have you grace us with your presence, Mercedes.”

 

Mercedes barely contained the giggle as she sketched a mock curtsy. “Why thank you Mr. Wentworth.”

 

“The offer still stands for you to run away with me, my dear.” Cedrick swept his hand around the store. “This could all be yours.”

 

“Okay, on that note I am going to have to step in,” Kurt said. He leaned in and gave Mercedes a quick kiss on the cheek. “Hey you.”

 

“Hey yourself. I got out of the studio a little early and headed on over.” She looked over his shoulder toward the stock room. “Why is it that I always run into Kenneth whenever I come in here?”

 

“Dumb luck?” Kurt asked. He looked pointedly at his boss. “You know, sooner or later someone is going to unload on Kevin and it’s not going to be pretty.”

 

Cedrick sighed. “I know it’s an eventuality but unfortunately, the poor boy is here as a favor to a very old friend so we must endure until Kenneth either gets a part or decides to move on.”

 

“Maybe they’ll do another revival of Sweeny Todd,” Kurt muttered. At Cedrick’s raised eyebrow, he sighed. “I know, I know. Outside voice.” Looking at Mercedes, Kurt said, “I have on customer to finish up with then I’m all yours.”

 

“That’s cool. You take your time.”

 

“And in the meantime, I will continue to try to persuade Miss Jones to run away with me and to live a life of drunken debauchery.” Cedrick tucked Mercedes hand in the crook of his arm and she waggled her fingers at Kurt. He shook his head and went back to Mr. Hammersmith.

 

Kurt had landed the job at Wentworth and Beck during his junior year of college. Not only did it serve a well-heeled clientele, flexible scheduling enabled many of its sales associates to audition for Broadway shows and dance performances. The younger associates were to the man very handsome and well turned out but with a high degree of bitchiness that got old very quickly.

When a few of them found out that Kurt wasn’t on the audition-show-audition merry go round, they became even more aloof . However, a number of the older, more permanent associates found out about his musical aspirations and would bring Kurt in when some of their special clientele would stop by. Longtime Broadway performers, the last remnants of New Yorks’ golden age music scene- they still came to Wentworth and Beck to have their clothes tailored to their liking. It was quite the education and Kurt was glad for it.

 

He finished with Mr. Hammersmith then gathered his bag and went to retrieve Mercedes. They stepped out into the mid-afternoon sun walking arm and arm and stopped for lunch at a small cafe near the store.

“Good day at the studio?”

 

“Yes and I have more work lined up.” Mercedes sipped her tea and put it down. “Say what you will about session work, it’s more useful to me in the long run.” She rested her chin on her hand. “Any auditions on the horizon?”

 

Kurt shrugged. “Not really. There’s a couple of shows coming up that I might look into but I want to work more on our set list. We have the Orpheum on Friday night.” He slipped his notebook out of his bag and flipped it open. “Any thoughts?”

 

They spent the remainder of their lunch hour tossing ideas back and forth, finally settling on two or three songs that would fit into the Orpheum’s open mike format. When they were done, Mercedes walked Kurt back to work. “I should be home by six,” Kurt said as he opened the door. A shout of, “Hummel!” went up and Kurt rolled his eyes. “Promise you’ll visit me in the big house if I kill Kenneth.”

 

Mercedes laughed and kissed his cheek. “You’d look terrible in orange. I’ll see you tonight.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Shift change at the 6th precinct was a scene of controlled chaos. The night shift coming on just as the day shift was finishing up in the locker room. Noah Puckerman would not have traded that chaos for anything in the world.

It had been a particularly long week. With the end of summer, it seemed like everyone and his brother had come back to the city in addition to returning NYU students who were on the prowl for cheap housing. Puck shared an apartment with another patrol officer named Trace Forman not too far from his station house and counted himself lucky to have housing in the city at all. Once he was no longer a rookie and had been posted to the 6th, Puck hadn't relished commuting from one of the outer Burroughs.

He hung his uniform shirt in his locker then pulled on a clean t-shirt. Quickly buttoning and zipping his jeans, he sat down to slip on his shoes.

"Puckerman!"

He looked up to see his partner, Mike Di Geronimo gesturing at him. "Some of us are going to The Orpheum to grab some food. You coming?" For a minute Puck was tempted to beg off. He didn't have a lot of close friends at the station; in fact, he tended to spend a lot of time on his own on his days off. By the look on Mike's face, begging off didn't seem like a good idea, the better part of valor and all that.

"Yeah, I'll come. What the hell, I was just gonna go home and crack open a beer and watch the game." Puck stood up and grabbed his jacket and bag, closing his locker with a slam.

Three other officers joined Puck and Mike: Cory Pilner, David Crocker and Marcy Sims. Cory and David had come on to the force the same time as Puck had and Marcy had joined the year before.

Mike had thirteen years under his belt, most of it on patrol. He'd been Puck's training officer straight out of the academy and for some inexplicable reason, requested him as a permanent partner once Puck graduated. Barrel chested with short salt and pepper hair, Mike was a man of few words. Puck had a list that he mentally called "The Di Geronimo Scale" which consisted of all of his partner’s various stares.

  
Even after two and a half years, there was still so much Puck was learning about the city he now called home.

As the end of high school loomed, Puck took a hard look at his life and realized that his prospects were not great. Whether it was New Directions or some other push toward self-awareness, he realized that he needed to make some decisions about what he wanted to do and where he wanted to go. Up until that point, Puck's life seemed to have been a series of vignettes: high school, football, messing with the dweebs around school. Getting laid. He had a moment when he felt a flash of heat thinking about those times but it was gone quickly. A career fair at McKinley brought military recruiters to campus. As promising as the Army and the Marines looked, there was something about the rawboned woman who sat behind the Coast Guard recruiting table that made him stop.

"Coast Guard," he'd said. "Boats and stuff. How much do I have to swim?'

The recruiter, Commander Missy Walsh - "My mother had a warped sense of humor when she named me that" - raised an eyebrow and said, "Well, there are boats and stuff as you noticed so swimming is involved. The Guard isn't as glamorous as the Marines but we do damned good work."

He'd sat and talked with the Commander for the better part of an hour. By the time he was done, he had a stack of information, including a fact sheet for parents because Puck knew that his mother would probably have a million questions. Two weeks after graduation, Puck was on his way to basic. He spent three years serving on the Great Lakes which kept him close to his mother and sister, then one year serving in New York City harbor. That final year made him want to stay in the great city and when he separated from the service, he took the New York Police Officer's exam.

During his time in the Coast Guard, Puck barely had time for a relationship, much less anything more personal. Not that there hadn't been brief and enjoyable but he wasn't big on sharing, a trait that bled over in his relationship with his co-workers.

Twenty minutes after leaving the station, Puck and his colleagues were settled at several tables at the Orpheum had good food and positioned itself as two or three levels above actually being a dive. Dinner was family style and the beer flowed freely. Plates littered the table in front of him and after clearing his twice, he leaned back in his chair, a pleasant glow infusing his being.

Marcy picked up one of the stand ups from the table. "Seems like we hit the jackpot. Dinner and a show."

She passed the stand up to Dave who said"It's open mike night. What do you think, stay or go?"

Mike raised his pint glass and took a drink. "Don't matter to me. Doris is out with her girls tonight so I'm on my own." He poked Puck. "What about you?"

Puck shrugged. "I'm easy." That remark brought derisive hoots from his fellow officers and he grinned. "What, I just said I'm easy. I'm not cheap but I'm definitely easy."

"Yeah, alright. You go with that." Cory sniggered. He was about to say more when the houselights flickered then lowered.

  
A rotund gentleman with a shock of white hair pulled the microphone forward and put up his hands to quiet the crowd.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Friday Night at the Orpheum." The rest of the restaurant's patrons clapped wildly which Puck took to mean that many of them came just for this. Good, free entertainment. You couldn't beat that. Plus, if it sucked, they could just walk. He poured himself another beer and tilted his chair back.

"We've got a great line up for you tonight. Some new faces and some favorites. Speaking of which, we're going to start off with a pair that many of you have taken a shine to. Put your hands together for Mercedes Jones and Kurt Hummel!"

Puck's feet hit the floor and he put his beer down. "No. No way," he whispered.

Mike tapped him on the shoulder and said in a low voice so as not to disturb anyone else, "You okay, Puckerman?" Puck waved him off and his eyes widened as last two people he expected to see came from behind the curtain.

Kurt stopped to pull a waiting keyboard forward while Mercedes adjusted the mike for her height. "Check, check" her voice rolled out over the crowd like smooth whiskey. "How's everyone doing tonight?" She smiled as a few wolf whistles accompanied some well wishes from the crowd.

Kurt looked up from where he was seated, pulling another microphone to where he could reach it. "Seems like we have some live ones,” he said. “We can work with that."

While they pair warmed up the crowd with some friendly banter, Puck took the opportunity to look at his former classmates. There was a hint of who they used to be overlaid with some crucial differences. The softness in Kurt's face had sharpened, giving him a much more mature look. He smiled easily, his mannerisms a little less fey and more decisive. He was still all about the style, opting for a finely tailored white shirt and black pants.

  
Mercedes was still cute and curvy but she was drifting into an older woman's type of sexiness, with her hair pulled into a soft up do held by chopsticks. She wore a soft bronze colored knee skimming sheath and low kitten heels with minimal jewelry and makeup. Puck was struck by the echo of who they used to be in his memories versus who they seemed to be now.

Mercedes nodded at Kurt and he began to play a light melody that tickled Puck’s ear in it's familiarity. She looked over the crowd and said, "We're going to start off with a little Dionne Warwick tonight." She closed her eyes and swayed to the music before she began to sing.

 _"What do you get when you fall in love?  
A guy with a pin to burst your bubble.  
That's what you get for all your trouble  
I'll never fall in love again  
I'll never fall in love again "_

What do you get when you kiss a girl  
You get enough germs to catch pneumonia  
After you do, she'll never phone you  
I'll never fall in love again  
I'll never fall in love again

Her voice had a new depth that she hadn't had in high school, handling the material like a pro. Gone, at least for this song, were the soaring vocal runs that Mercedes had been known for in New Directions. Instead, she sang the song like it was made for her. Puck found himself leaning forward, listening as Mercedes Jones drew the crowd in with her voice and her presence.

 _What do you do when you fall in love?  
You only get lies and pain and sorrow  
So for at least until tomorrow  
I'll never fall in love again  
I'll never fall in love again_

I'll never fall in love again.

As the crowd clapped appreciatively, Puck felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He turned around and saw his coworkers looking at him with varying degrees of interest. Mike most of all.

"I take it you know those people?"

Heat tinged Puck’s ears. "Yeah," he said, "I do." He took a drink of his beer and sat back, letting his co-workers’ questions wash over him.. When another act took the stage, he answered one or two questions distractedly. Clearly the open mike at the Orpheus was a fairly tight affair because it seemed like Kurt and Mercedes were back before they knew it.

"Taylor is letting us close out tonight," Kurt said, holding out a hand to indicate their host. "We're going to leave you with a classic and we'll see you next time. " Mercedes had pulled up a stool, putting the mic stand to the side and holding the mike in her hand. Kurt played a lilting into then went into the song:

 _Why do birds suddenly appear  
Every time you are near  
Just like me  
They long to be  
Close to you_

Kurt took the lead with Mercedes harmonizing softly. Puck heard the echoes of all those glee club rehearsals in his head. Funny, he hadn't thought about that for a long time. But even he had to admit that when New Directions was good, they were really good and Mercedes and Kurt were part of the reason why. Seeing the two of them singing together was like going back in time.

The pair finished to a shower of applause. Kurt pulled his mic toward him and said, "That's it for us tonight. Thanks for having us back." Mercedes gave a little wave and the two of them secured the equipment before they left the stage. As they walked through the crowd, Mike nudged Puck.

"What?" Puck said impatiently.

“Aren't going to say hi?"

Just when he was about to say, "hell no," Puck heard:

"Puck, is that you?"

 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

He turned his head and there they were. Mercedes had a small smile on her face while Kurt cocked his head to one side and took in everyone Puck was with. Puck, for his part, felt exposed 

"Coincidence or stalking?" Mercedes asked.

Puck shook his head. "Um, what?" Snickers erupted behind him and he rolled his eyes.

“I vote for coincidence,” Kurt said lightly. "Because it's either that or the universe has a very wacky sense of humor."

Before Puck could say anything, Marcy popped in with, “Hey, any friend of Puck's is a friend of ours." Suddenly chairs were being pulled out and Mercedes and Kurt were being escorted into them. "So, how do you know our boy Noah?” 

Puck wanted to put his head down and cry. This could only end in blood and/or tears depending on what sort of mood the pair were in. 

Mercedes and Kurt were a bit shell shocked themselves . One minute they were seeing someone from their collective past, the next they were being pawed by people who looked to be of a law enforcement bent. Beers were poured and placed in front of them. Mercedes leaned over and whispered to Kurt, "Can we make it to the door?" 

"I don't think so, besides, Puck looks like he might bring us down like gazelles." 

They both chanced looks at their former classmate. He had that classic "I'm gonna kill you" look. 

"What's the matter, cat got your tongues?" Mike asked from the other end of the table. "Puck here doesn't talk to much about his life before before becoming a cop, which is fine I guess. Still waters and all that. You two can fill us in on all the details." 

Mercedes looked at Kurt and then they both turned to Puck. “You're a cop?” she said disbelievingly. 

Puck nodded and watched as she took a sip of beer. Kurt raised his hand to signal a waiter. “Screw the beer, I think we're going to need something stronger for this conversation.” 

Once their drinks were delivered, Kurt looked around the table. He was well aware that Puck's fellow officers were having a bit of fun at his expense so he took pity on him. “We did go to high school with him but we ran in very different crowds.” 

  
"VERY different," Mercedes said with some emphasis. 

"We did see each other around once in a while, though. Kurt and I were in glee club together." 

Puck nodded. "Yeah, they were pretty good. Went to Nationals, what, twice?" Inside he was relieved and a little ashamed as he said this because he remembered the night they won and how good it felt. 

"Yeah, we did, We won the second time." Kurt said. He turned to Mercedes and bumped her with his shoulder. "You sang "Once More for the ballad section" 

"Oh yeah," Mercedes replied, bopping her head. "Spandau Ballet." She looked at the rest of the table, her eyes resting for moment on Puck before sliding away. "It was a risk musically because the judges can be very traditional but it worked in our favor. We weren't doing that many show tunes or traditional ballads anyway. We'd made more of an impact using some unexpected sources."

"Like Dionne Warwick song you sang,” Mike said. “That was nice.”

"Thanks." Mercedes finished her cocktail and sighed. "I can't have too much of that otherwise I'll have a headache."

Puck poured her a glass of water and handed it over automatically which Mercedes took gratefully. "Thanks."

"No problem." He looked at his former club mates and said, "So what are you two doing here?"

"This is a regular gig for us. We go to regular open mikes around town for the experience,” Kurt said. “I've been auditioning off and on for chorus work on Broadway.”

“I make my living doing session and demo work,” Mercedes offered. “Plus getting in some composition and vocal training at Kurt's Alma mater. I came to New York after I graduated from Carrington.”

  
She grinned at Kurt. "Plus my aunt lives here. She puts up with me and Kurt and we get cheap rent." 

"Puckerman here hums in the patrol car,” Mike offered. “I figure sooner or later he's going to bust into song.”

Hoots from the other officers made Puck duck his head. 

Both Mercedes and Kurt looked at him. "Really?" Kurt said, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "I seem to recall him sort of singing once in a while."

"There were rumors of Neil Diamond." Mercedes said. She barely bit back a yelp when she felt Puck kick her under the table.

"I just fool around on my guitar," Puck muttered. He knew that his co workers weren't going to let it go so he finally blurted out. “Fine, I was in show choir with them, okay?” He picked up his pint glass and muttered, "It's no big thing."

“Holding out on us, were you?” Marcy crowed. “I knew it!”

Mercedes chuckled. "I'm glad you still play," she said. "You have a nice voice."

He flashed for a moment on the day he serenaded her in class, how free he felt when her voice joined with his. "Thanks."

Gesturing to Marcy to lean over, Mercedes mock whispered, “The boy can sing his ass off.” 

Before Puck could throttle her, Kurt threw in, "Rachel's doing well for herself. She's slowly worked her way from Off Off Broadway to Off Broadway and she's with one of the touring companies for “Wicked.”

"Rachel Berry is an extremely talented and somewhat annoying former classmate of ours,” Kurt explained to the rest of table. “She got into Julliard but the minute she hit the city she started looking for shows to perform in. It's taken some doing but it seems like she's on her way." He bumped Mercedes' shoulder. "You know, Mercedes got into Julliard too."

Puck stared at Mercedes. "You never told anyone you got in." She shrugged and toyed with her cocktail glass.

"I didn't want to be in Rachel's shadow anymore. Besides, Carrington offered me a full scholarship which took a load off my parents. I figured if they could do that, then I could spend my time in one of the whitest towns outside of Lima." She chuckled. "I didn't do badly there at all."

They talked until the hour grew late. Finally, Mike stood up stretching. “That's it for me. Doris should be home by now.” He nodded at Kurt and Mercedes. “Nice to meet you. Like we said before, Noah here doesn't open up too much. I was thinking he was in witness protection or something.”

As soon as Mike stood so did everyone else, grabbing jackets and bags and making their way out until the former classmates were left together. 

They looked at one another, not sure what to do until Puck said, "You guys want to get out of here?"

"Sure, the night's still young." Mercedes replied.

The three gathered their things and Puck watched as Mercedes and Kurt said goodbye to the diehards sitting at the bar who called out to congratulate them on another successful night.

"You guys sound good together," Puck offered once they were on the street.

Mercedes slipped her arm through Kurt's and said, "That's really nice of you to say."

"I mean it. Your voices blend together well."

Kurt looked at Mercedes fondly and Puck felt a small twinge of jealousy at the ease of their friendship and how they acted with one another. As they went along, Puck would sneak glances at the pair and occasionally they'd do the same to him

Once they reached the subway station, "This is us," Mercedes said. She looked at him thoughtfully and said, "Why don't you come with?"

The offer caught Puck off guard. "Oh, well, uh, I need to drop my stuff at home but I'm off this weekend. Why don't I come by and visit?"

Kurt was already pulling out a business card. He held it up and said, "We're both home tomorrow. Call if you're not coming." He handed it off to Puck who took it and looked it over.

"255 W139th Street. You're up in Harlem?"

The pair nodded. "My aunt's lived there for years ,” Mercedes said. “Everyone we know has a standing invitation to come over and crash. That includes you, Puck."

Puck smirked a little. "Can't wait to get a little of the Puckerman magic, hmm?" His teasing tone was reminiscent of his years as a high school Lothario. Mercedes rolled her eyes.

"I know you did not just go there," she said with a shake of her head. "Anyway, come by. It'll be nice to catch up." She stepped close to him and went on tip toe to kiss him on the cheek. Kurt held out his hand and the two men shook. Then the two of them were gone, racing down the stairs to catch their train, leaving Puck standing in the still warm night.

***  
On the train, Kurt rested his head on Mercedes' shoulder as the stations raced by in the dark. "That was weird," he said.

Mercedes replied, "I know, right? Meeting Puck of all people.”

"He looks good."

"Yeah, he does. The cop thing, though. Now that’s a shocker.” Mercedes said. “I hope he comes tomorrow. I wouldn’t mind finding out what else he’s been up to.”

 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Three o'clock on Saturday afternoon saw Puck standing on the corner of Lenox and 135 th Street. He looked down at Kurt's business card then checked the map he'd printed off Google before setting off down the street. The buildings had survived the cycle of prosperity and neglect to find themselves on the the better part of the upside.

There were buildings in Lima that were old but he'd never been in a city that felt as though it had an old soul. One that had stories to tell. It didn't surprise him in the least that Mercedes and Kurt somehow ended up here together.

Once they were in New Directions, the two had gravitated together over a mutual love of music and fashion. Strange how things turned out.

Puck was walking along when he heard someone call his name. He turned from one side to another and then looked behind him to see Kurt standing on the stairs of a well tended brownstone.

He walked back and Kurt waved. "I saw you walk by from my window and you looked like you were lost in thought."

Puck rubbed a hand over his closely cropped head and looked at the other young man sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess I wasn't watching closely." He rested his hand on the railing. "So this is it?"

Kurt turned and waved a hand dramatically. "This is it. It belongs to Mercedes' Aunt Theodora, C'mon in."

"Thanks." Puck followed Kurt into the well appointed foyer and looked around. "This is really nice."

"Thank you, young man."

Theodora stood on the stairs smiling at him. She'd gone for a very casual look, a camisole shirt covered by a colorful over shirt and loose pants. She came down the stairs, her hand held out. Puck stepped forward and took it only to find himself pulled down so the older woman could wrap her arms around his shoulders. Startled, he hugged her back, squeezing her lightly.

Theodora stepped back and held out her arms. "You're welcome here. They've haven't said too much about a lot of their friends but your name has come up once or twice."

"I hope not it's not anything too scandalous," Puck remarked. The older woman caught his arm and pulled him forward.

"Not in the least. Mercedes and Kurt have had good things to say about their high school friends. I haven't met many of them but the few that I have, I've liked."

Puck found himself being walked into the kitchen, where Mercedes sat at the table, snapping green beans. He sat down when she pushed a chair out for him with her foot. "What’s up?"

Mercedes waved a hand at the bowl off to the side. "Prepping for Sunday dinner. Which you're invited to if you want to come."

He grimaced. "I can't. I've got stuff to do.” Puck looked at Theodora. “Rain check?" he asked hopefully

"Consider it a standing invitation." Theodora swapped out the bowl Mercedes had already filled and gave her another for the remaining beans. "Mercedes and Kurt tell me you're a police officer.”

"Yes, ma'am, " Puck replied. "I joined up after I got out of the Coast Guard.”

Kurt walked into the room, pulled a glass out of a nearby cupboard and filled it with lemonade from the fridge. He leaned against the kitchen counter, crossing his legs in front of him. “I'm still shocked that you became a copy.”

Puck pulled a few of the green beans out of Mercedes' pile and after watching her for a moment, began to snap them just to give himself something to do. “Any particular reason why?”

"Kurt and I were talking about this the other night. You didn't say anything about joining the military in all the time we knew you, much less a cop. It'll take some time to adjust."

He gave Mercedes a searching look. "You didn't say anything about going to Colorado until the last minute."

She smiled. "You've got me there."

There was a pause and then Puck said, "I didn't exactly know what I was going to do after high school. I played football but I knew enough to know that I wasn't going to get any scholarships for that. My grades weren't all bad. I could have gone to community college then on to a four-year."

"School was not exactly your strongest suit," Kurt said dryly. Puck smirked and nodded.

"Yeah, well, I didn't want to stay in Lima. The military seemed the next best option."

Finn was the one who ended up staying in Lima, working with Kurt's dad to expanding the business. Kurt hadn't objected when his father changed the name to "Hummel and Sons." He and his father had long made their peace about their respective paths in life and Mike Hummel came out to New York whenever he felt like he really needed to see his child, which pleased Kurt greatly.

“Kurt thought for sure that you should have been a Marine." Mercedes said. Kurt stuck his tongue out at her and she blew an air kiss back.

"Oh really?"

Kurt waved a hand at Puck. “Look at you. You've always been in shape and you already had the hair. I thought it would have been a slam dunk."

Puck took a moment and fixed Kurt with a look. "And you noticed this when?" He didn't realize his voice had dropped lower until he saw Kurt blush red.

"It was a little hard not to notice considering all the times I looked up at you from the dumpster."

The words were like a shock to Puck's system. He felt Theodora's eyes on him and ducked his head. "Dumpster?" she asked.

"I wasn't exactly a nice guy in high school." Puck muttered. A hand landed on his shoulder and he looked up to see Kurt standing next to him.

"Hey, I didn't mean it like that, okay? It's behind us, that's what matters."

Mercedes poked him with her foot. "If Kurt says it's okay, then it's okay, Puck. We were all different people then."

Theodora grabbed the bowl from in front of him and put a beer in it's place. "I think you need that."

Puck thanked her and took a long draw, letting the liquid roll down his throat. "Anyway," he continued, "I joined the Coast Guard because it meant that most likely I'd be posted stateside and I could still get home to help out my mom and sister if they needed it."

"That makes sense," Mercedes said. She got up and handed the rest of the beans off to her aunt. "We're going to grab our boy here and go upstairs. You okay down here, auntie?"

Theodora waved at her. "Of course I am. you kids go have a good time."

"C'mon. We'll take you to on the ten cent tour."

Puck followed Mercedes and Kurt up the ornate wooden staircase. They had their room doors open and they stopped in Kurt's first. His work table was strewn with sheet music and a small key board sat in the corner. The rest of the room was studiously neat, very much like Kurt himself. They moved from there to Mercedes'. She flopped down on the queen sized bed that was pushed against one wall, which allowed her to maximize on the rest of the room's space. Kurt joined her and they watched as Puck wandered around her room, looking at the pictures on the wall. The picture from their win at Nationals held pride of place along with pictures of her family and some of Mercedes performing at Carrington. One picture in particular caught Puck's eye: Mercedes dressed in an absurd purple satin top with a glittering microphone in one hand. He pulled it off the wall and held it up.

"And where was this?"

Mercedes' laughed. "There was a cafe near school that had a karaoke machine and a really anemic open mike night. A bunch of us would go down and just goof off doing shows. Finally, the owner asked us to do it once or twice a month regularly and the Kamikaze Karaoke night was born."

Puck could almost imagine her presiding over such an event. "Are you doing anything like that here?"

Mercedes looked at Kurt and said, "We're working on ideas for a bigger show. Right now, we do open mike's here and there and we're not too bad, If I do say so myself" She poked Kurt who smiled at her fondly.

"No, you're not bad at all," Puck concurred. "In fact, I'd say you guys are really good."

"Our goal is a newer style cabaret act with singing but maybe throw in some spoken word or stuff.” Kurt said, warming to his subject. “I've got some original songs I'm working on and there's some people we've met who'd definitely be into it.”

"So, no bright lights for you?" Puck teased Mercedes. A shadow crossed her face when he said it and he was immediately contrite. "Hey, I didn't mean anything by it."

Mercedes took a moment then smiled softly. "It's fine. I found out pretty quick that I'm not exactly 'industry standard'. I had a long talk with Theodora about it. She used to work at Columbia Records and I respect her opinion." Sitting up a littls straighter, Mercedes continued. "She said that maybe I needed to adjust my expectations a little and craft a career that can work for me instead of against me. That's why I'm working on my technique and delivery and building a better repertoire. More Queen Latifah in her Dana Owens phase than Beyonce."

"What about you?" Puck remembered when Kurt burst out of his shell back in McKinley. It was hard to ignore his talent and how it made him shine.

Kurt shrugged. "I’m pushing my talents in the right direction. I'm composing some of my own songs. And I still sing. We're working on more duets together." He caught Mercedes hand in his own and continued. "One goal is a full-fledged cabaret show. Our strengths compliment each other."

Puck shifted so he could lean his back against the wall. "I still sing," he said quietly. "Mostly just for myself." He looked at them. "I never thought I'd miss glee club but sometimes I do."

"If I may be so bold," Kurt said. "Why didn't you tell your coworkers you were were a part of New Directions?"

Puck ducked his head. "It never came up before. And it's like they said, I don’t dwell to much on the past."

Mercedes reached around Kurt and touched Puck’s thigh. "When I left Lima I just wanted to be a new Mercedes." She shrugged. "It's not that I'm not good. I just needed to figure out what my dreams were and I needed to do that as far away from home as I could get."

Kurt was nodding as she spoke, one hand stroking her arm. He was so used to having Mercedes around now that casual intimacies like this were common. He didn't catch Puck watching them, his eyes glued to his pale fingers on her dark skin. 

"My dad sat me down and told me that anything I wanted to do, he'd support me in it." Kurt said. "He comes out when he can to visit."

The three of them sat talking until dusk. Soulful music drifted up the stairs. Mercedes listened for a minute and she smiled. "Looks like it's all about Philly tonight," she said. At Puck's confused look, she explained, "Theodora’s a big fan of the the Philadelphia Sound so when she's in the mood, that's what she plays."

The three listened as the strains of "I Hope That We Can Be Together Soon" drifted upstairs. Mercedes began to hum, then softly singing the Sharon Paige lead. The boys listened, Kurt slowly bobbing his head as she vocalized. 

When the song was over, Kurt nudged Puck with his knee. “What else do you have going on besides being a member of New York's Finest?”

"Not a whole heck of a lot.” Puck picked an imaginary piece of lint off his pants. “I might go back to school. Get a few credits under my belt so if I ever consider going for detective I have some more going for me." 

Kurt looked thoughtful. "City College is right up the street. You could check that out if you were really interested." Puck nodded.

"There's that. It's not like I was the world best student." He held up a hand when both Mercedes and Kurt looked as though they were about to say something. "Spare me the peanut gallery."

They were saved by Theodora calling up the stairs, "Dinner's on. You three gonna eat up there or do you want to come down?"

“We'll be down in sec." Mercedes looked at Puck. "Coming?"

Puck looked from one to the other and grinned. "Yeah."

****

After dinner, the four ended up in the living room with Theodora telling stories and Kurt and Mercedes interjecting their opinions. It was easy to get drawn in and Puck found himself telling them about his time in the Coast Guard At one point, he realized that they were all looking at him. “What did I say?"

"I never thought that I'd ever hear you talk about something you really loved,” Mercedes said. “I like it. It suits you."

Puck waggled his eyebrows. "What can I say? The Puckerman has all the right moves." 

"Nice to know that your ego is intact." Kurt said drily. He got up and started grabbing their dessert plates. Puck got up but Theodora waved him down. "They have it. You're a guest tonight. Next time you come, you can give them a hand."

Puck nodded and sat back in his chair. A cool breeze blew through the window and he leaned his head back and closed his eyes, slipping into a light slumber. Theodora watched him for a few moments before she caught up a knit blanket and spread it over him. When Mercedes and Kurt came back in they saw him and Theodora placed her finger against her lips. They left him there and went back into the kitchen.

***

He woke when the sun was just peeking over the horizon. Puck stretched and for a moment he didn't remember where he was. He fingered the blanket that had been placed over him and the evening before came back. I must have been really tired, he thought.

Looking at his watch he realized that he needed to get back to his own apartment, if only to wash up and put on some different clothes. He wasn't on duty but he had have some things to take care of and figured it was a good enough time to go about it. He moved carefully, getting up and folding the blanket and placing it on the chair. He stretched again then looked around for something to write on. Spying a pad and pen on a nearby table, he walked over and wrote a note for Kurt and Mercedes and Theodora. thanking them for their hospitality. He hesitated for a moment then scrawled his cell phone number and e-mail below his name.

Puck folded the note and put their names on it and propped it up on the table, then he walked to the coat rack and grabbed his jacket. Opening the front door, he slipped out and closed it, making sure it locked with a discreet twist of his wrist. The sky was streaked with the beginnings of dawn as he went down the stairs and headed for the subway, hands stuck in his pockets against the morning chill.

He wondered if either Kurt or Mercedes would call.

Then he wondered why he cared if they did.

Mercedes found the note when she came down that morning. She read it then went back upstairs, pulling her silk robe close so she could tie it. Knocking on Kurt's door, she walked in when a sleepy voice bade her to enter. "Puck's gone."

Kurt sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, his hair tousled. "Was he okay?" Mercedes shrugged.

"I think so. He left a note." She held it out, and Kurt took it. He scanned it quickly as Mercedes sat down on the side of his bed. When he was done, he put it on his night stand. "Well, he's definitely grown. I never would have expected the old Puck to leave a thank you note."

Mercedes chuckled. "Has the savage beast been soothed?" she asked and then giggled as Kurt popped her lightly on the shoulder. "Not so much soothed. Probably more like softened a tiny amount. Which isn't a bad thing,” he hastened to add. "It was good to see him though."

"He's the last person I expected to see here. Anyone else in New Directions? Sure. I almost counted on it. But Puck," Mercedes shook her head and said, "I totally expected him to be the last person left in Lima."

"I hear that." Kurt reached out and pulled Mercedes down to snuggle against him. "He looked good."

"Mmm hmm."

He chanced a look at her and saw a thoughtful look on her face. "Mercedes Jones, you are not feeling sexy about Noah Puckerman!"

  
Mercedes gave him the "Seriously, have you lost your mind?" look and said, "And if I was? It's not like he's ever going to hear anything about it from me." Looking at Kurt she said, "And you aren't going to say anything about it either?"

“Moi? You wound me, 'Cedes." Kurt said haughtily. 

She snorted, "I don't buy your innocent act, Hummel. So I looked. You can't tell me you didn't either."

Kurt ducked his head. "Aha!" Mercedes said triumphantly. "Okay, truce." She leaned against the wall, her legs outstretched before her. "We both agree that Noah Puckerman has grown into an even finer piece of ass." She shuddered pleasurably. "And we are going to leave that finer piece of ass alone." 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 

Two weeks went by before either Kurt or Mercedes saw Puck again. They both had work plus their various gigs so time was at a premium. There were a few days where they saw each other only when they were passing in the hallway at home or before they went to bed. 

Kurt was making a concerted effort to work on the structure of the cabaret show. It was still in the protean stage, so many things not pinned down. He had a feeling that if he stuck with it that it could be something special. That still didn't stop it from driving him a little crazy. 

  
Springing himself from his self-imposed creative exile, he heard Mercedes say, "...so, you know where we live. Just come by” right when he was passing by. 

As Mercedes hung up the phone, he asked, "Who was that?" 

She looked up a little guiltily. “Puck." Kurt’s eyebrows went up. 

“Oh really?”

"I figure he left the numbers why not call to see if he was doing anything tonight." Kurt chuckled. 

"If you say so, boo." 

  
"Hush." 

  
"Is he going to come by?" Kurt put his feet up an an ottoman and was flipping through a copy of GQ.. Mercedes sat down beside him. 

  
"I like that," she said, finger stopping Kurt from turning the page from a well put together Hugo Boss ad featuring John Cho. 

"The boy can wear a suit." 

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Yes he can and you're changing the subject." 

Mercedes shrugged. "I just thought he'd like to hang out. He's bringing drinks and his guitar." 

  
Kurt thought about it for a minute then shrugged. "You're springing the salon on him?” He wagged a finger at her. “You are evil.” 

“No. Crafty yes. Evil no.” 

They talked for a little while longer and then Mercedes walked away to prep for the evening.. Kurt stayed in his spot, finishing his magazine and then starting another. 

  
*** 

Puck hitched his guitar on his shoulder and made his way to Kurt and Mercedes'. He was at loose ends that evening so Mercedes' call was welcome. It wasn't that Puck didn't like staying at home. Sometimes he and his roommate would hit the bars together but he was still finding those places in the city that he liked to go on his own. 

So, here he was. He hadn't played his guitar in a while and while he was packing it up, he had had to tune it; a reminder that he hadn't been playing regularly. Maybe tonight, he could entice the two of them to sing with him. Puck arrived at the house and walked up the stairs. Someone must have been watching from an upstairs window because his feet had barely hit the stoop when the door opened. Theodora. stood there, a broad smile on her face. 

"Hello again, Puck." She stepped back so he could come in the house. Theodora presented her cheek and he kissed it dutifully. “How are you doing?” she asked. 

"I'm good." Puck nodded at her and held up the package he was carrying. "I brought some beer." 

"Ah yes, good. Let's go inside." 

Puck followed her into the house and straight to the kitchen. There were several completed food trays and Puck pointed to them. "What's all this?" 

 

Theodora. looked around. "Oh, that. The kids have a little creative salon every other week that some of their friends come to. So there's food and drinking. A little wine and song. Mercedes thought you might like coming." 

 

"About that..." Puck still had time, he could think of an excuse and make a run for it but that was quickly dispelled when Kurt walked into the kitchen in jeans and a well worn T-shirt emblazoned with the Weller School of Music logo. 

  
"Puck, hey, glad you could make it." 

Puck shrugged. "Didn't have all that much to do tonight so when Mercedes called, I figured I'd come by for a little bit." He looked Kurt up and down. "No designer stuff." 

Kurt laughed. "Please, I have plenty of it but I like my jeans too." He waved a hand at Puck. "I see you haven't changed much in the clothing department. " 

"What can I say, it's a classic look." 

 

"I don't know if I'd call it that," Kurt quipped and ducked a swipe from Puck. "You look good." 

"Thanks" 

Theodora made a shooing motion with her hands. "Alright, everyone out. You're gonna have guests coming soon." 

Puck slipped his guitar off his shoulder and said, "You need some help?" 

*** 

By the time the first guests arrived, the furniture in the living room had been pushed back to accommodate performers. The refreshment table was off to one side and a music stand stood in another corner. Mercedes and Kurt made a point to introduce him to just about everyone so when the music started, he felt a little less stiff. He sat in a corner, his guitar on his lap, lightly strumming it when he looked up and saw Mercedes looking at him. "You gonna sing?" 

 

Puck shrugged. "I was thinking about it." 

  
Mercedes caught his hand and gave a gentle tug upward. "The rule for tonight is that there is no judgment. You get up and do your thing. People either like it or they don't." 

"That's fair." Puck noticed that she didn't drop his hand until they were in the middle of the room. Mercedes held up her hands and the noise level died down as everyone gave her their attention. 

"Everybody, this is Puck. Puck, this is everybody." The crowd chuckled at her introduction. Puck looked at her and she grinned. "Classy, Mercedes."

"I am that. Anyway, Kurt and I went to high school with Puck," this was greeted with “oooooh.” "Yeah, we did. The boy has some talent, so give him some love."

She stepped away and suddenly, Puck's stomach dropped when he realized that he was alone. "Hey." The answering hey from the crowd helped a little and he settled his guitar more comfortably. "I haven't done this in a while. Sung to anyone, I mean. So you'll cut me a little slack here." He strummed a few chords and continued. "I'm gonna start with one of my favorites, Mr. Neil Diamond."

Puck settled himself down and began to sing.

_Hello  
Again hello_

Just called to say: hello.  
I couldn't sleep at all tonight  
And I know it's late  
But I couldn't wait.  
Hello

  
Kurt watched as Puck poured himself into the song. It always amazed him to hear him sing because he became this other person. Someone who seemed a little more true. 

It would be so easy, Kurt thought as he listened, to dwell on what happened in high school. All the times that Puck and the other football players tossed him into the dumpster. Although, when he looked back on it, Kurt had noticed that sometimes Puck would angle him just enough so that he actually landed in the section with a little more paper, rather than in the more smelly garbage in the front. And he didn't slam him too hard unlike Karofsky and the other goons.

Kurt spent a chunk of his early high school years not exactly afraid, more like exasperated. The constant slushies, the subtle and not so subtle intimidation; it wore on his nerves. A small part of him always thought that if he had the chance to visit some of the same bullshit on Puck and the rest that he would. After being in New Directions with him, however, some of that fell away. Make no mistake: Kurt still sometimes dreamed about messing up Karofsky's shit something fierce but the farther he got away from high school, the less it mattered. He won in the end: he got out of Lima and was making a life for himself in New York.

Seeing Puck now didn't hurt. In fact, Kurt was noticing things that he'd told himself didn't matter when he was on his mad hunt for Finn's affections. Puck was a good looking guy and a few years more maturity looked good on him. He shifted in his seat, feeling a blossoming of heat beneath his breast bone. He hadn't expected that at all.

The song ended and Kurt clapped as loudly as everyone else. Puck's smile was devil-may-care under laced with something Kurt had spied only once or twice at McKinley: soft surprise that people liked it when he sang. The taller man nodded at the crowd and started to step out of the middle of the room but cries of, "More!" and "C'mon, sing another!” stopped him. Puck's eyes scanned the room finding Kurt then sliding away to seek out Mercedes.

"This one is for old friends, lost and found."

He swung into the opening chords and then started to sing,

_Baby hair with a woman's eyes  
I can feel you're watching in the night  
All alone with me and we're waiting for the sunlight  
When I feel cold, you warm me  
And when I feel I can't go on, you come and hold me  
It's you... And me forever_

Sara Smile  
Won't you smile a while for me  
Sara

The shift to Hall and Oates was a surprise. Kurt leaned forward as Puck's voice looped around the lyrics. He'd slowed down the tempo, letting the song linger in the air. Around the room were soft echoes as others sang along with him.

****

Mercedes watched Puck's performance, and looked over at Kurt. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be absorbing the words. Mercedes wondered at her own feelings. Were they just hold overs from that brief encounter between the two of them so many years ago or was it something else?

  
A tap on her arm and Theodora leaned in to whisper, "He's very good. And he was in your club?" 

Mercedes nodded. "He was."

When Puck launched into the Hall and Oates classic, having spotted her and Kurt in the crowd, she listened. There was something. She could barely put her finger on it but it was something. And it was crazy because this wasn't high school any more. This was real life and for the first time in a very long while, Mercedes Jones wanted.

Puck finished and the enthusiastic reaction of the people in attendance told her everything she needed to know; Puck was a hit. He waved a little then walked off to grab a drink. He put his guitar safely to the side and opened his beer, taking a long drought.

"Not bad at all" Theodora said warmly. "You seemed to have wowed the crowd." Puck looked around and saw everyone smiling. He ducked his head, unused to the praise. 

"Nothing to it." He gave her his best shit eating grin. "I know how to turn it on." 

Theodora looked at him and shook her head. "Mmm, hmm. I see that you do. Well, as soon as you're done turning it on why don't you come in the back and give me hand bringing things out." 

He chuckled and walked behind her into the kitchen, coming back laden with two trays of snacks. 

*** 

Mercedes walked over to Kurt and sat in the now empty spot beside him. "Hey." 

"Hey yourself." Kurt replied. He leaned in and said softly,"So, Puck." 

Mercedes fanned herself. "Yeah, I know what you mean." 

 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 

Puck slipped into the cruiser and stifled a yawn. Mike grinned at him and pulled out of the 6th's parking lot and into traffic. 

  
"Too much weekend?" 

  
"Yeah, you could say that. Mercedes and Kurt invited me over for this salon thing they do."

  
"What, you mean salon like hair?" Mike looked at him out of the corner of his eyes "You never struck me as the type, Puckerman."

  
"Oh ha, ha," Puck replied. "No, a few times a month they've got people who come over to Mercedes' aunt's house and sing, recite poetry and stuff." He shrugged nonchalantly. "No big thing."

  
Mike turned on Hudson Street and headed toward Bleeker. "That was Friday. You're dragging in like you've bean going at it all weekend." A pause. "You got someone?”

  
"What? No! What the hell, Mike?" Puck sputtered. The older cop chuckled.

  
"Calm down, I'm only messing with ya," Mike stopped at an intersection and both men scanned the people on either side waiting to cross. Puck never would have seen this many different types of people in Lima when he was growing up, although it had changed since then. They pulled through the intersection and drove with the flow of traffic, scanning the neighborhood. "Anyway, I was just thinking you've been a lot more approachable ever since your friends came back into your life. I sort of like you now."

  
Puck kept his gaze trained out the window, letting Mike's words flow over him. "Yeah, well, back at ya."

  
The two men spent the next few minutes watching the neighborhood roll bay when Puck spotted a man running and an older woman screaming after him. “Looks like we got ourselves a runner."

"That we do." Mike tuned on the lights and sirens as Puck picked up the radio mic.

" Dispatch, this is Car 2349. We in pursuit of a young African American male on foot." He snapped off the remainder of the information as they sped up and then Mike pulled over to the curb so Puck could get out of the car and give chase. Behind him, he could hear the squeal of the the patrol car's wheels as Mike followed. The suspect was running full out through the crowd, heedless of who he knocked over. He stumbled only when he hit then bounced off of a dolly full of boxes., That gave Puck the opening he needed. He side stepped the now stopped dolly, hurdled over another box then pounced on the suspect, bringing him down to the ground hard. 

"Get offa me, man! I didn't do nuthin!" The young man, and Puck mentally revised Mike's initial estimate because this kid couldn't be more than sixteen, squirmed beneath him, the handbag he'd stolen lying a few feet from his fingers.

"Hold still," Puck growled and felt the body beneath him still. He reached back and grabbed his cuffs. Flicking them open with practiced ease, he snapped them on the boy's wrists then hauled him up. Mike stepped up, having parked their patrol car in a blocking diagonal. "I got him."

Mike reached down and picked up the pocketbook, fishing inside for a wallet. "Something tells me that you," nodding at the boy, "are not Mrs. Dubrovnik."

Rather than rely on bravado, their quarry rolled his eyes and stayed silent. "Smart, I like that." Mike glanced at Puck. "You read him his rights?"

"I was just about to do that." Puck replied. Once he was done, he and Mike escorted their charge to the car, easing him into the back seat while making sure that he didn’t hit his head on the door frame.

Once he was shut inside, the two men waited until the aforementioned Mrs. Dubrovnik came up panting lightly.

"Ah, thank you officers! " She fanned herself and blotted her face with a tissue. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't caught him." Mrs. Dubrovnik wagged her finger at the young man in the car. "Shame on you. I will be pressing charges."

Ten minutes later the two were on their way to the station house to drop Hosea ( he'd' finally given up his name) off before continuing on patrol.

"Let's hope that's all the excitement we get for today," Puck said.

"You seem to have too much excitement. You're like action man with you and your buddies." Mike said. "You never told me what you did for the rest of your weekend."

Puck cast a dirty look at him. "Ask a few more questions, Mike. You seem like such the curious type."

"I just thought you be all into sharing and shit, given your sudden change in social status."

***

At Puck’s second salon, there was a dress code.

Puck stepped into Kurt's space. "I am not wearing that," he said waving his hand at the garment bag that hung on the back of Kurt's door. "What ever it is."

Thirty minutes later and one look from Mercedes saw Puck decked out in a zoot suit.

Mercedes made an appearance at the station one day when she brought Puck lunch. Puck had flushed a little when she handed him a bag full of brisket that she and her aunt had made. "I was already in the neighborhood, “ she said, “Recording session gone long." She told him much later that it had almost been an all nighter and that she'd slept at the studio, which for some reason, didn't sit well with him. Mercedes had waved it off and kissed his cheek, much to his fellow officer's amusement.

Puck had taken the ribbing like a good sport even as his stomach clenched a little.

***

They'd done the duet at the last salon. "James Morrison, You Give Me Something," Kurt had said, handing him sheet music one night over dinner. “You have the voice for it.”

It was comfortable. Coming over, spending time with Mercedes and Kurt. Dinner once or twice a week, sometimes a movie afterward. Puck felt as though he were easing into a place that had been made for him with very little effort. 

  
Puck stood next to Mercedes as she washed dishes. "So," he began, clearing his throat. "You and Hummel." 

Mercedes gave him the side eye and went back to what she was doing. "Me and Hummel what?" She placed the dish she was washing into the dish rack and moved on to one of the pots. 

Puck crossed his arms and one leg across the other, trying to look relaxed only to realize that there was tension running through him as he thought about how to ask this question. 

"You two are pretty close and all." 

She kept washing dishes but he caught a tiny uplift of her lips as she worked. "Mmm hmmm." 

"Have you, um, y'know?" 

  
Mercedes turned toward him, one soapy hand on her hip. "Wow, I really thought you'd grown up a little more since high school but clearly I was wrong, Puckerman." There was an echo of the old Mercedes in her tone, back when she could cow him with the force of her personality and attitude. "Just say whatever it is you're going to say." 

Puck finally turned all the way to face her, one hand on the counter. "Are you and Kurt together?" 

As he said it, he saw her eyes widen. "Together how?" 

'You know," he said, shifting uncomfortably, "You and him, having sex." 

Mercedes' mouth worked for a moment and then she closed it, catching up a a dish towel so she could dry her hands. She sighed. "C'mon, let's take a walk." 

The shift in her attitude took Puck by surprise but he followed behind her anyway, catching up his jacket from the peg near the door. He saw Mercedes work her way into hers and caught it the collar before he knew what he was doing. Puck lifted it up, making it easier for her to put it on. "Thanks," she said, and buttoned it. 

Fall was slowly giving way to the beginning of winter with the occasional colder day slipping in like a thief. Today was one of those days. The pair put on gloves and hats as they walked out the door. Mercedes nudged Puck and cocked her head to the right. "This way," she said. 

They walked slowly, Mercedes greeting a number of their neighbors as they walked. Puck stuck his hands in his pockets, saying hello when he was spoken too. He was wondering if shed actually say anything when finally, Mercedes said, "You asked about Kurt and I. Can I ask why you want to know?" 

  
Puck shrugged, unwilling to reveal everything he was feeling just yet. "I watch the two of you and you're so close," and I want some of it, he thought to himself. Mercedes smiled softly. 

  
"We have been for a long time. Since high school and the club." She kicked a stray leaf as it crossed her path and kept walking. "Kurt and I, it's kind of hard to explain." 

"I thought he was gay." Puck said bluntly. 

"He likes men, that's for sure," Mercedes affirmed, "But he likes me as well." She cut a look at him. "Did you know that I had a big crush on him back in high school?" 

Puck shook his head. "I had no idea."Mercedes chuckled. "Chalk it up to high school hormones gone wild. I'd never met anyone who really had the same interests that I did at McKinley. Kurt liked fashion and pop culture and so did I. Plus, he's really sweet. It was almost inevitable that I'd fall for him." 

"You?" 

"Yes, me. Luckily I didn't embarrass myself too badly when I told him that I liked him like that." She shook her head at the memory. "I'm glad that we still came out of it as friends. I was the first person he ever came out to. “ 

  
They kept walking, crossing the street into St. Nicholas' Park. Puck tucked his arm in hers, pulling her a little closer to him when he saw her shiver from a particularly cold breeze. Mercedes looked down at their linked arms then up at him. Puck felt it but kept staring straight ahead. "So, you had a crush. How did that work itself into this thing," he waved a hand in front of them, "you two have." 

  
Mercedes shrugged. "It just happened. We spent a lot of time together, talking about the guys we wanted to date. Then Kurt met Derek and things changed." 

"Like what?" 

"Derek didn't want us to spend all that much time together," she said with a shake of her head. "When Kurt told me , I understood. They were boyfriends and I get not wanting to share. Kurt figured they'd work out the time thing and then he and I could get some time together. And that worked for a while. Eventually, Derek wanted more and more of his time, very possessive, and Kurt got pissed." 

Puck stopped for a moment, turning slightly to look at her. "That party senior year." he said faintly as he remembered. "The two of them sort of blew up at each other." 

"That was it for them." Mercedes shook her head. "The party was just the final straw. It had been brewing for a long time and when it finally hit, it was easy enough for Kurt to walk away. I think I got a little mad at him for dumping boyfriend but when he talked to me about it later I got what he was saying." 

_I'm not giving you up for anybody, boo. Boyfriend or no, we'll always have each other._

  
"That took balls," Puck said. "Giving up his boyfriend for you. But you've both dated, right?" 

She slapped his arm. "Yes, we've both dated. Sometimes for a short time, other times for a little longer. Somehow we still keep drifting back to each other. We love each other and maybe one day we'll find other people to love but I can't imagine my life without Kurt in it and neither can he." 

Puck let all of this settle inside of him. Then he said, "What....what if someone was interested in you? Like both of you?" 

"Like that'll ever happen," Mercedes said ruefully. "It would kill two birds with one stone, though. We'd both have someone and still be able to stay together." 

The sky was shading toward twilight and the lights in the park were beginning to come on as they walked. There's something about fall in New York that's more magical than anywhere else. Aunt T always said that this was the time when you could feel the soul of the city and Mercedes believed it. She shifted her hand so that she could grasp Puck's inner arm, which brought her closer to his side. Puck looked down and she saw there was a light smile on his face. Something about his questions made her think that there was something he was trying to ask but knowing Puck, you'd get a runaround before you got a straight answer. 

"You never answered my question, “ Puck said quietly. “Whether or not the two of you have had sex with each other.” 

Mercedes thought for a moment, her body language clearly showing that she was uncomfortable. He wanted to kick himself and said, "Okay, that was that of line." when her voice stopped him. 

"Once." 

 

"What?" 

 

She sighed. "We tried it once. Me and Kurt. A threesome." 

 

Puck blew out a breath. "You did." 

 

"Yes."He sensed there was...something from the way she was hesitating. "Look, you don't have to explain anything." But Mercedes settled down and took a deep breath. "Can we sit down for a few minutes?"Puck steered them toward a nearby bench and they both sat down. 

 

A woman with a Pomeranian walked by, the small dog decked out in a festive sweater that barely compressed his fur. A few joggers out for a early evening run passed by as well, going in the other direction. Above them, students coming out of JFK High School mingled with some evening student from CCNY. 

"The first time I ever came to visit Kurt," Mercedes began, "it was the summer of freshman year. He wasn't living with my aunt yet but he had good roommates back at the dorm. There was this guy he'd been dating, Jeremy Sothern. Nice looking. He said he was bi." 

She looked off in the distance and then said, "We went out one night to a bar for some karaoke and got more than a little drunk. Anyway, to make a long story short, we ended up back in Kurt's room, the three of us making out. And it was okay, I mean, it's not like I had never seen Kurt naked before considering how many times we'd spent out with each other in high school." 

Puck slid an arm around her shoulders, sensing her need for closeness. He thought better about saying anything. Now that he'd opened this, he'd have to see it through. Mercedes stiffened for a moment before she relaxed into him. "We were about to get to the good stuff, and Kurt touched me . That's when thinks went south. Jeremy got nasty, saying that he thought Kurt was gay and why was he touching me..." She swallowed. "It was like a bomb going off. Kurt got up and almost physically threw him out of the room. It just hurt, you know? We thought maybe that it could be good and it didn't happen that way." 

"Shit," Puck whispered. 

"We never tried it again. There's not a lot of people who can handle both of us and that's without getting into labels." 

Puck thought about what it must have felt like to have that kind of rejection suddenly visit your bed. A small sniffle beside him pulled him out of his reverie. He turned his head and saw a small tear run down Mercedes' cheek. 

"Shhh," he said softly, his thumb wiping the tear away. "It wasn’t your fault, yours or Kurt’s. You know that right?" 

Mercedes gave him a watery smile. "Look at you, Mr. Understanding," she said, a catch in her voice. "I know it. It still hurts though. We both just want to be happy. Is that so much?" 

"No, it's not." Puck hugged her close, tucking her head against his chest. He was angry but it was a hollow anger. He couldn't changed what happened for that one time, nor did he want to be the cause of more hurt even as he tried to sort out exactly what it was *he* was looking for. 

  
That sat that way for a few minutes until finally Mercedes pulled away a little. "We should get back." 

  
Puck stood and held out his hand and she took it. This time, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held her against him. When he felt her arm slide around his waist, Puck closed his eyes and savored the contact. They walked back to the house, the night enveloping them as they made their way home. 

** 

Much later Puck lay in bed at home, staring up at the ceiling thinking about his talk with Mercedes. 

It had been eye opening especially her revelation about her relationship with Kurt. 

  
They'd always been affectionate in high school and on the surface, they seemed to embrace every stereotype of the flamboyant gay man and straight female best friend. You'd have to be completely blind not to notice that there was something deeper going on between them. Something that shown bright and inviting, drawing at Puck like a moth to a flame. 

There were nights when he dreamed of them both, never fully clear but their bodies laid beside his own, tangled in the sheets. He felt the split between who he'd been as he stood on the precipice of who he might become and his thoughts gave him no rest. 

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 

Mercedes was singing along to “Hard Times” as she cleaned her room her voice a husky counterpoint to Cory Day's sassy frothiness. 

"Hey, boo." 

She turned and saw Kurt standing in the doorway. "Hey you. How did the audition go?" 

Kurt shrugged as he walked into her room and grabbed her desk chair. Turning it so he could lean across the back, he said, "I didn't get it. Which is fine because when I really looked at the music, I didn't particularly like it." He grinned at her. "That's the nice thing about chorus work. You're either in or you're out." Kurt nodded at the broom and pan. "And you're cleaning like Martha Stewart. What's up?" 

Mercedes sighed and put aside the broom and pan so that she could sit on her bed. "Puck asked about you and me the last time he was over.” 

That caught Kurt's attention. "What did he want to know?” 

“How deep our relationship was. I mean we are pretty touchy feelie for a gay man and a presumably straight woman."

"So noted." 

Mercedes said, "He asked me if we'd ever had sex." 

Kurt's eyes widened. "He asked you what?" 

"You heard me." 

"Yes, I did but you need to repeat that because clearly I'm not hearing things very well." Kurt moved to sit beside her on the bed. "What brought this on?" 

Mercedes spared him a glance. "I'm not sure but I think he's trying to figure something out and we're a part of it." She hesitated then said, "I told him about what happened with Jeremy." 

Kurt swore softly under his breath as he felt a little catch just below his heart. That whole incident was one big fiasco and he and Mercedes put it behind them. or so he thought. 'What did you tell him?" 

"The basics. How ended made him mad for some reason.” Mercedes pulled up another chair and sat down. “I don't know, he's got some stuff going on in his head.” 

“Well, let's hope he has sense enough to say something,” Kurt said. 

  
***  
"I can feel you thinking all the way over." 

"What?" Puck blinked and looked at his partner. The other man didn't look at him, keeping his eyes on the road, the scanner a low chatter int he background. "Sorry, I was distracted."

"No doubt. What's up?"

Puck shook his head. “Nothing ."

"Hey, I didn't mean to cap on your friends if that's what's bothering you." Mike said contritely. "That one time I met them, they seemed nice."

Puck nodded. 

"They are. It's just," he blew out a breath. "I don't know. There’s some things coming up that I'm not sure how to sort them out or even to know what it is." He glanced out the window, watching the streets roll by. People were slowly starting to take out those clothing items that indicated that fall truly was underway. Heavier jackets and sweaters, longer pants and slightly longer skirts - the change of seasons were easy enough to read in the city.

Mike grunted affirmatively then said, "Maybe you just need to figure out what it is that you want." They drove quietly for a few minutes. "Doris promised to make some cannoli for dinner on Friday.” Mike offered. “Why don't you come on out?”

Puck opened his mouth to say no, that he already had plans because, he did. Standing plans at that warm brownstone uptown but maybe that's what he needed, a little change of scenery. "Yeah, yeah, I'll do that. What time?"

***

One week grew into two, then three that Kurt and Mercedes hadn't seen Puck. He stopped coming by, begging off dinner a few weeks back in favor of dinner at his partner's house. After that, there was a hockey game with some of the other guys from his squad. Mercedes walked by just as Kurt was hanging up the phone in the living room. At Kurt's crestfallen look, Mercedes stopped and sat beside him on settee.

"Maybe he's just got other stuff to do," she said softly, bumping the other with her shoulder. "I mean, we don't have a claim on him."

Kurt sighed. "I know. It's just that Puck suddenly became someone I got used to seeing. Not just in the choir or at school. It's been great getting to know him as a person." He looked at her. "I don't know about you but I kind of miss him."

Mercedes nodded. "I never thought I'd here myself saying this but I miss him too." She suspected that Puck was having what for him amounted to a minor identity crisis even if he himself didn't know that that what it was. Mercedes had felt how close the three of them were growing, how easily they let him slip into their life and how comfortable it felt to have him there. And it was scary to think about that because it meant all kinds of things that she totally didn't have the words for and those she did have didn't exactly fit.

"Penny for them," Kurt said, fingers caressing the back of her hand. She turned her hand over and their fingers laced together.

"I'm not entirely sure what I'm thinking about right now. Give me some time." Mercedes bussed Kurt's cheek, seeing the pale cheeks flush red when she did it. "It's okay, really.” She squeezed his hand and he squeezed back, assured for the time being.

"Alright then. Oh, I want you to listen to something." Kurt moved over to the piano but Mercedes kept her seat. He began to play a melody, slowly aft first then speeding just enough for it to move along at a reasonable pace.

Mercedes listened, closing her eyes to listen to what Kurt had to say with this composition. She slowly bobbed her head, picking out the parts that particularly resonated with her. When Kurt finished, she clapped. "Nice. Is this what you've been working on?"

Kurt nodded. "That one last part was giving me fits. It finally shook itself loose." He looked at her. "Would you like to write the words?"

Startled, Mercedes drew back. "Me? I thought you were going to do it all."

"I did the first hard part. You get the next." He smiled wickedly. "And besides, I thought you wanted to see both our names up in lights."

"Music by Kurt Hummel, Words by Mercedes Jones ," Mercedes mused. "I like the sound of that."

 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 

Right after Thanksgiving, Puck was getting off work when his phone rang. "Puckerman." 

"All right, I'm not sure what the hell is going on but you should come over," Mercedes said shortly. 

"Mercedes, I..." 

"You what?" 

Puck sighed. "Look, I just didn't think you guys would want me hanging around so much. You being so close and all." He heard her quiet breathing and chanced saying, "Still there?" 

"Yes, I'm still here. And I'm wondering where you got that stupid crap in your head. Well, that's neither here nor there." Mercedes huffed. "Why don't you finish up where you are and just come home with me." 

Puck looked over at Mike who raised a skeptical eyebrow and he shook his head. "Okay, okay. What time?" 

"I'm outside the station house and I'm freezing my ass off talking to you. So c'mon." 

"Alright, give me five."Mercedes growled. "Move your ass, Puck." 

Puck hung up and shoved his phone in his jeans pocket before grabbing his jacket and his bag. "Listen, Mike, I gotta do a thing." 

Mike smirked. "Yeah, yeah, I caught some of that thing. No worries. I'll see you tomorrow." 

Puck stepped out of the station and looked around. "Puck!" Mercedes stood across the street, waving her arm. He looked both ways and walked across. "'Bout time, don't you know not to keep a lady waiting?" She held up a hand and said, "Don't answer that." 

He felt a smile steal across his face and said, ""What, I thought you liked it when I had a smart-assed answer for you." They turned to make the short walk to the subway. Mercedes wore a beret with a matching scarf over her wool coat, the festive colors popping against the wool. He moved a little closer, slipping an arm around her waist and except for a small stuttered step to match his, she didn't pull away. 

"I'm sorry I haven't been by." 

  
"We missed you at Thanksgiving but we figured you just had other stuff to do." Mercedes cringed when she heard the small amount of hurt creep into her tone. "I missed you though. We both did." 

Snow had started to fall softly, the fat fluffy flakes sticking to the ground. They dusted her shoulders as well as his own, with a few errant flakes dipping into the space between his neck and collar. He shook himself which only served to make room for a few more. 

"Here." 

"Hmm?" Puck looked down and saw Mercedes holding out a black wool scarf. "Where'd you get this?" 

"Picked it up off a vendor. I always keep a few extras around since I tend to lose them." She stopped and looped it around his neck, tying it in a lose bow before tucking the front of it in his jacket . "There you go." 

"Thanks." Puck looked at the hands on his chest then Mercedes’ face before he dipped his head, catching her mouth unawares. It was a light kiss, one that could easily be dismissed as one from a very close friend but the difference was he let it last, drawing her in closer, nipping at her bottom lip before soothing it with the light caress of the tip of his tongue. Mercedes held on to him, returning his kiss tentatively before she committed fully. 

When they drew away, Mercedes looked at him, her gloved fingers rubbing the lapels of his jacket. "I liked that," she said huskily."Thought you would," Puck replied, running his hands up and down her arms. "Mercedes, I don't know what the hell I'm doing. Not with you, not with Kurt. Not with the two of you together. I have no idea." 

Mercedes' fingers rubbed the back of his neck and he gave off a satisfied growl. "Maybe we can all figure it out together. Kurt and I, we don't have all the answers but we'd rather you still came around. Not talking? That was kind of hard. We were just breaking you in." 

That brought a derisive snort from Puck. "Breaking me in, huh? That's what you call it?" He looped his arm around her shoulders and they kept walking. "I'd hate to see what it would take to have me fully trained." 

  
Forty minutes later and they were walking into the door of the 139th Street house. "Hey, Mercedes, did you pick up some toilet paper?" Kurt shouted. 

"I did. Puck's here." Mercedes walked to the base of the stairs and tossed a couple of rolls upstairs. "C'mon down when you're done." 

  
"Got it."The pair took off their coats and hung them near the front door. "You're aunt's not home tonight?" 

Mercedes shook her head. "No, it’s book club night and before you say anything, she takes a cab to and from the church so she's not on the street at night." She poked him in the rib with a chuckle. "I figured I'd just tell you that now before you lecture me about her being out late." 

"I wasn't going to do that!" 

Mercedes put her hand on her hip and said, "Sure you weren't." 

Kurt came down and nodded at Puck. 

"And where have you been?" 

"You've gotten a hell of a lot more direct, Hummel." 

Kurt waved a dismissive hand. "Whatever. You've been avoiding us and I have some ideas as to why but I'm wondering if you care to elaborate. "The three of them trooped into the living room and sat down. 

“I'm sorry, I just needed to think for a while" Puck began. He rubbed nervous hands on his thighs. 

"We, I, like having you here in our lives and it hurt when you stopped coming around without telling us why, “ Kurt said. “It seems that we both might be feeling something for you. I know I'm not entirely sure what to make of it but there it is. And now that I've put that out there I'm going to sit here and be embarrassed about it." He looked at Mercedes and took her hand. "Sweetie, this is crazy. But I like him and you and well, you know this." 

Mercedes laced her fingers through his. “I never thought I'd ever say that I'd like being with you, Puck, but I do. It was nice for that little while we were together in high school. Not just because we were popular but because it was different. I was different."

Puck got up from his chair and walked over to look out the window, watching the snow fall harder. " I made a lot of mistakes back in Lima. Some I'm not particularly proud of but I'm also not running around living with regrets either." He turned back to them and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Am I feeling something for the two of you, yes . Did stop spending so much time here because I wasn't sure what to think about it? Yes again."

"Is it the gay thing?" Kurt asked, curious.

Puck shook his head. "No, I've hooked up with some dudes so it's not a problem. "

"Oh look at you on the down low," Mercedes teased and Puck smirked. "Not really the down low just discrete. They may have dropped don't ask, don't tell but you still didn't broadcast who you were sleeping with."

He sat on the edge of the coffee table in front of the pair. "I’m having trouble wrapping my head how to make *this*," waving his hand between the three of them, "work. Or if you even want to make it work. hell, I don't even know if I have the guts to make work."

"Well, that's honest," Kurt said. "And this is honest too." He reached out, cupping Puck's cheeks in his hands and leaned in, brushing his mouth over Puck's. Puck gave a soft groan and his hands came up to curve around Kurt's shoulders, pulling him in. Puck deepened the kiss, swiping his tongue over the other man's lip until Kurt opened his mouth to him. Then things grew more intense as Puck shifted an arm to Kurt's waist, fitting the other to him as the kiss grew wetter and hotter.

Finally, they sat back, panting. "Wow," Kurt said breathlessly.

"That was very hot," Mercedes filled in, fanning herself. “That was better than the kiss you gave me earlier."

Kurt's head whipped from one to the other. "You kissed her first?" he asked.

Puck shrugged. "She gave me a scarf. How could I not kiss her?"

"But apparently the quality of the kiss was left to be desired?" Kurt continued. "Clearly this must be rectified. 'Cedes, c'mere." Mercedes scrambled off the couch and the men both stood up.

"Now," Kurt continued, his voice taking on an instructional tone. "The way one must kiss Miss Jones is with focus and intent." Mercedes snorted and Kurt poked her playfully. "Hush, I'm talking here." He moved out of the way and pushed Mercedes in front of Puck. "Show me how you kissed before."

"You two are weird," Puck groused. But he played along regardless, aligning Mercedes against his body in a close approximation of how they stood on the street earlier. Mercedes snickered softly before her mouth touched his lightly. This time, however, Puck felt a little shift as Mercedes pressed against him even closer that she had before. She moaned softly in her throat and Puck chanced a look over her shoulder. Kurt's fingers were stroking over Mercedes neck and shoulders, before on slid upward into her hair to lightly tangle in the strands. Puck felt himself grow hard as those fingers tightened, tugging lightly so that Mercedes’ head tipped back exposing her neck.

Not one to waste an opportunity, Puck moved downward, kissing Mercedes' jaw before lightly nipping at her throat.

Mercedes clutched Puck’s shoulders, the sensations spiraling up and over. She felt rather than saw Kurt move from her side to slide closer to Puck. She fumbled around and caught one of Kurt’s hands, pulling until she could push it over Puck's denim clad cock.

"Fuck," Puck said in a strangled whisper, shifting his hips so that he could make it easier for Kurt to reach him. The answering squeeze told him everything he wanted to know. Puck turned his head from Mercedes, and with his free hand grabbed Kurt by the neck and pulled him in for a harsh kiss. Soon it was hard to tell who was kissing who, who was touching who, as fingers touched pushed, pulled, and rubbed between the three of them.

"Oh shit," Mercedes breathed, pulling back. The other two gazed back her, eyes glazed with warmth and desire. 'I think we need to move this to someplace a little more comfortable."

Reluctantly, the three of them moved away and headed for the stairs. They ended up in Mercedes room since she had the biggest bed. Moments later they were back to kissing and stroking, sensing that going further was not the goal this evening. That didn't stop anyone from trying to go as far as possible.  
~*~

Mercedes shifted with a low groan feeling two bodies bracketed her own. She looked behind her and saw it was Kurt, his arm wrapped around her waist in a way that was comfortingly familiar. She patted his hand and he snuggled in closer. 

Turning her head forward, she looked right into Puck's eyes. 

She opened her mouth to speak softly to him but he placed his fingers on her lips before stroking them down her cheek. She felt her heart soften and she playfully butted against him. She pushed his shoulder a little. Puck moved back a hair and Mercedes sat up, running a hand over her hair. She slipped her feet into her slippers and turned back to Puck. "I'm gonna go and see what we have for breakfast. Keep Kurt company?" 

He nodded and scooted close to Kurt, who in classic sleepy fashion took the body offered and wrapped himself around Puck's waist. Mercedes grinned and turned her back so she could replace her shirt and jeans from the night before with a clean t-shirt and her robe, She scooted out of the room just as her aunt was coming out of the bathroom 

"Oh, hey T." Mercedes tried to be nonchalant but was nearly undone by Theodora’s obvious amusement. 

  
"I take it you're going to want some thing to eat for that boy of yours,” the older woman said. 

Mercedes felt a flush rise in her cheeks. “Nothing happened!” 

“Sweetie, I could tell you stories about mornings after that would make your hair stand on end. The three of you having a little slumber party is no big deal. Now if I was go talking to your mother..." Theodora's voice drifted off teasingly.

Mercedes held up her hand and said, "Don't finish that thought. Mom would lose her damn mind." 

  
*** 

Kurt was having a pretty good dream. He wasn't entirely sure on the details but it seemed to involved the cast of the Golddiggers of 1935, a dancing cat and him in a top hat and tails. They were just at the finale when he heard a grumpy voice say,"Jesus Hummel, could you please stop moving?" 

  
Kurt's eyes snapped open and he found himself staring into Puck's amused blue ones. And he seemed to be wrapped around Puck like a limpet. Closing his eyes, Kurt muttered, “This is where I ask what it was we did last night and where is Mercedes?" 

"To answer your first question, we didn't do too much of anything if we're still dressed," Puck replied. "Mercedes is downstairs checking on the food sitch. Satisfied?" 

Kurt sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, I guess so. I should change. " he looked down at his rumpled clothes and then looked at Puck who was watching him, his head propped up on his hand. "What are you looking at?" 

Puck smirked. "You, since you're the only person in the room. Are you always Miss Mary Sunshine in the morning?" 

Kurt shook his head and slid off the bed. "It is way too early for me to be dealing with you without coffee." He headed toward his own room but looked back to say, "You want the bathroom first?" 

"No, you go ahead. I'm good for now, plus my stuff is downstairs." 

Walking into his own room, Kurt closed the door and leaned against it. The night before came back in a rush: the kissing and touching. The three of them together. With Noah Puckerman. Kurt's mind cast back to the salon a few months back when both he and Mercedes noticed Puck. Somewhere in the intervening time, one of the bane's of Kurt's high school existence had slipped into his life to the point that he actually missed Puck when he wasn’t around for three weeks. So why was Kurt the one standing in his room having a minor freak out? 

He shook himself then gathered up his cleansing tools and headed for the bathroom. Ten minutes and a hot shower later, Kurt stood looking at himself in the mirror, his towel tucked around his waist. He had changed some over the years; he'd filled out some , courtesy of those years being a kicker under Coach Beiste, who’d made him work out with everyone else for the stamina so he was no longer freakishly thin. Still pale but then, he always s would be. He'd taken after his mother that way. The hair was a little longer, his skin was clear due to his strict facial regimen. 

But there were subtle changes; the ones that didn't stand out so much but that he'd really not thought that much about. Kurt was an attractive and he was happy with how he'd turned out. The question if he was attractive to other people, that was a whole other kettle of fish, least of all if he was attractive to Puck. 

"Kurt, breakfast!" 

He opened the door and shouted back, "I'll be down in a couple of minutes." He pushed the still forming thoughts to the back of his mind and finished getting dressed in record time. He slipped into his place at the table and took the cup of coffee that Theodora handed him gratefully. Mercedes was already in her place and a few minutes later, Puck joined them. "Okay, are we going to have to talk about cleanliness? That was a fast shower." 

"When you have to be out of your rack and in formation thirty minutes and you're sharing the head with a dozen other guys, you learn to get ready fast," Puck replied. He took some toast and eggs and tucked in once everyone was done goggling at him. "What?" 

"Nothing," Mercedes replied. She looked over at Kurt who was lost in thought. "You okay?" 

"Hmm?" Kurt said, startled. "Oh, no, I'm fine. Just thinking about some stuff." He went back to his food as the conversation turned to what everyone's plans were for the weekend. 

~*~ 

By late afternoon, Mercedes had gone to the studio and Kurt was back in his room working. Or at least he should have been. It was more like he was staring out of his window, his thoughts a jumble. 

What happened between the three of them the night before shouldn't have been a big deal. Three friends, who obviously liked each other or were at least drifting in that direction, start to get it on. 

That wasn't bothering him. Nor was the fact that one of the people involved was a woman. Kurt knew enough that he wasn't going to go shouting it from the rooftops about his and Mercedes’ relationship. If anyone asked, though, the truth was that he found a comfort and love in her that he'd rarely found in many men he'd known or dated. The third factor was Puck. 

A knock at his door caught his attention. 

"Speak of the devil, Kurt thought to himself. He turned his head and saw Puck at his door. " I thought you'd gone hours ago." 

"Theodora asked me to help her move some boxes in the flat downstairs." Puck said. “Can I come in?” 

  
"Sure." Kurt waved a hand at the pile of papers on a chair. "Just move that stuff over there." 

  
"Somehow seeing a mess in your room makes me feel like you're human." Puck observed as he moved the papers and sat down. "Although the fact that the mess is confined on one side is a little schizophrenic." 

  
"Yes, well, we all have our faults." He looked Puck up and down and felt words crowding his mouth. Suddenly, Kurt said, "What do you want, Puck?" 

"Want?" Puck drew back startled at Kurt's vehemence. "Look if it's a problem for you with me being here I can bail." 

  
Kurt shook his head trying to get clear with what he wanted to say."No, I mean, what are you looking for? I'm not saying last night wasn’t hot, because it was. But there's a small part of me that’s still figuring out how to trust you.” 

He held up his hand to stop Puck when he started to say something. "Let me finish. I started to like you, not just lust after you but like you in a way that scares me a little. I thought I could be okay with that,. And then I start to think about pee balloons and being pushed up against lockers. This shouldn't matter now. It shouldn't.” Kurt took a breath and let it out slowly. “But if this goes where I think it's going between the three of us then I need to be sure of you. We both do.” 

  
To his credit, Puck didn't run screaming from the room when Kurt finished. In fact, he looked thoughtful. “I guess that’s fair,” he replied. 

Kurt's chin went up. "Really." 

Puck chuckled. "Yeah," He scooted his chair closer to the other man and said, "I told you before that I didn’t have a whole lot of regrets but I did do some really idiotic shit back then and hurt some people." 

"So why did you...?" 

He shrugged. "Any answer I could give you runs the risk of sounding trite.” Puck thought for a moment. "Tell you the truth I was jealous when you said you were going to New York." 

Kurt leaned back, considering. "Why?" 

"Why do you think?" Puck replied. "You were getting out. You, Mercedes, hell, even Rachel. Everyone was leaving and I didn't think I was. I didn't think I was for a long time. And I knew it was all about the choices I made. That's on me. Just like the life I'm building now, is all on me." 

It was hard to listen to, this new Noah Puckerman. It was easier to see him as the big jock who had nothing better to do than to make Kurt's life miserable. But he couldn't forget the person Puck had started to become when they were in glee club together. 

"You say you need to be sure of me so what do you want?” 

"What?" 

"You heard me. What is it you want? What do you want me to do? Because I can't try to be this person who's in your head and be myself at the same time. I need some help here." 

"I'm not going speak for Mercedes but I need you not to deny this." Kurt waved a hand between them. "If we're going to try and have something then don't deny it. I don't want us to be your dirty secret. if someone asks, then yes, you're seeing us both." 

Kurt knew that it was a hard thing to ask, even kind of mean but he wasn't into lying or any of that bullshit. The other man got up, walking over to Kurt's window and sat on the sill looking down at the street. Snow was starting to fall again, adding to what they'd gotten then night before. "You don't do shit by half measures, do you?" 

"Not any more, I don't." 

Puck nodded. "Fair enough. Here's what I need from you. I need you to think about forgiving me. I know you said you did before but obviously there's still things that are bugging you. I get it and I'm not going to tell you to just get over it. If you’re open to it, maybe we can try and talk some of it out." He held up a finger. "Another thing. If I'm seeing you, then we're dating. I'll go out with both of you, together, separate, whatever. I'm good with that. Everything up front. As to telling people, I'm not real close to a lot of people here but my partner, yeah, I'll tell him at some point. " Puck held his hands apart. "How's that sound?" 

Kurt put aside his composition book and thought about what Puck had said. "You know, even as we're sitting here talking about this, there's a part of me that's actually a little more angry at Finn and Mr. Schue than I am at you." 

That admission startled Puck. "What's that about?"

"You used to throw me and the other nerds in the dumpster every day and it sucked but you at least looked me in the eye when you did it. Finn," Kurt sighed. "It was like he didn't care. And those few times Mr. Schue saw it, he didn't seem to care either. It was all very impersonal." He gave a harsh laugh. "Me giving you a hard time about this? I guess it's a weird sort of respect. I can say this stuff to you face to face and at least get some sort of answer instead of wondering whether or not the other shoe is going to drop."

Kurt got to his feet as did Puck. “In answer to your previous question, I accept your proposal. “ 

“You do, huh?” Puck said, his voice low and sultry. “You think Mercedes will be on board?”

“You’ll need to ask her yourself, although something tells me it might not be that hard a sell.”

"Hey, Kurt?" 

"Yeah?"

"Can I kiss you?"

Kurt smiled softly. "Excellent idea."

Puck leaned in and brushed his lips against Kurt's, noticing how soft they were before Kurt slid his hand around the back of Puck's head to deepen the kiss. 

Puck broke away first and licked his lips. "Nice," he said with a grin. "I could get used to that."

Kurt crooked an eyebrow. "Oh really?" 

"Yes, really." He swooped in and stole another kiss, this time biting lightly at Kurt's bottom lip and then swiping it with his tongue to soothe the hurt. When he pulled back this time, there was a slightly glazed look on Kurt's face. "Still got it," Puck gloated.

Kurt shook himself and slapped Puck lightly on the arm. "Don't even go there."

"Went there and bought the T-shirt," Puck shot back. Then he leaned in again and rested his head against Kurt's. "You ready for this, Hummel?"

"I hope so," Kurt breathed. "God, I hope so."

***  
Mercedes dialed Kurt's number and waited until he picked up. "Kurt, hi."

"Hi, yourself. Are you on your way home?"

Mercedes sighed. "No, it looks like I'm going to be stuck here tonight. We just got finished and I looked outside and the snow's falling harder. There’s a small apartment upstairs that I can crash in for tonight but I just wanted to check in."

There was a brief discussion in the background then Puck came on the line. "You gonna be okay there tonight, Mercedes?"

She chuckled, hearing the other question beneath the question. "I'll be fine, Officer Puckerman. It’s easier for me to stay here and wait for them to clear the sidewalks in the morning. The only thing I have tomorrow is a voice class and that's it."

"As long as you're okay," Puck replied. "When you get a chance, call me."

"Yeah, sure." Mercedes thought about what he might want to talk about and planned on checking with Kurt about the minute she had the chance. "Can you put Kurt back on?"

"Mmm hmm, you sleep good tonight, you hear?"

"Yes sir," she replied with a chuckle. "G'night Puck."

There was another exchange and then Kurt was back on. "I'll let your aunt know where you are, 'Cedes and I'll see you tomorrow. Sleep tight."

"You too. Love ya."

She hung up and looked at her phone. Kurt sounded odd. There was something in his voice that piqued her curiosity. Maybe it had something to do with the conversation she and Puck had earlier that week. Pondering this, Mercedes made her way to the small efficiency adjoining the recording studio and dropped her bag near the door.

 

Dallas used it on those rare late nights when he couldn’t get home and it was on offer to a select group of session singers and musicians pulling late hours and not wanting to go home. She pulled out the spare linens and made up the sofa bed, slipping beneath the down comforter after she turned out the lights. 

 

The ambient glow from the city lights gave the room a slight peaceful glow and Mercedes lay back and let her mind wander. 

 

There was so much going on and nothing was settling. Her talk with Puck. The history and the love between herself and Kurt. None of it fit into neat little boxes. There was what every one expected but none of it took into account people’s hearts. All of this had been weighing heavily on her mind and she knew, intellectually, that it didn’t have to be a bigger deal than she herself made of it. But the world had a way of poking it’s nose into a person’s business. What you wanted wasn’t always what you were going to have. 

 

It didn’t hurt that both of her friends were more than easy on the eyes. 

 

Turning over, Mercedes tucked an arm beneath her head, stroking her side with her fingers. Their little kissing adventure had only been a taste, a glimpse at a possibility. When she’d checked in with herself later, she found that an enthusiastic “hell yes!” had taken up residence. She let herself look at both men. The remnants of high school had finally fallen away and she was left with who they were now. Grown ups. Men with thoughts and desires of their own. 

 

“I want this,” Mercedes said softly into the gloom. The words hung in the air with promise. Even though this was uncharted territory (and she’d be a fool if she didn’t admit that it did scare her a little). Even though it involved all of their hearts, Mercedes was tired of waiting around for something, anything, to happen. She wanted to leap and grab both Puck and Kurt by the hands and say, “Hell yes, let’s try.” Definitions could come later. 

 

Since when have I ever been too scared to go for what I really wanted? she thought. The question turned in her mind as she snuggled deeper into her blankets and drifted off to sleep. 

*** 

Snow in New York is both a beauty and a curse. Beauty because the whole city covered in white gave it a magical look and feel. Curse because the beauty was quickly lost in a world of sludge and icy roads and sidewalks. Mercedes grumbled as she slipped and slid her way into the house, her vocal class having been canceled since her teacher couldn’t make it down form Connecticut. 

 

After being sideswiped by careless drivers which drove waves of slush wet snow against her legs, Mercedes could only think of one thing: being at home, wrapped up in her robe and watching television. There were some session proposals she needed to consider but those things could wait. 

 

When she rolled into the house, her lower legs were dripping. Kurt and Theodora were just sitting down to brunch. 

 

“Mercedes, honey, come in and get those things off,” Theodora said as she bustled around her niece. Kurt had to stop himself from snickering when Mercedes held up a hand.

 

“One word and I will end you,” she said, her eyes narrowing. The squishing sound her booted feet made along the hardwood floors only made things worse. A small snort slipped out from Kurt as Mercedes made her way up the stairs. “Remember,” her voice drifted down from the upper floor. “I will end you. Got that?”

 

“Yes, I do. Definitely.” Kurt clapped his hands over his mouth as he looked at Theodora, whose eyes were dancing with amusement. 

 

“I’ll bring you some warm towels from the dryer, niece,” Theodora called up the stairs. A low, “Thanks, T,” was Mercedes only reply and Kurt snorted again. Theodora slapped the younger man on his arm and gestured, “Hush you. Go make something else hot.”

 

Kurt chuckled and made his way to the kitchen, putting on the kettle. His mirth died down as he thought about his conversation with Puck the night before. Puck had ducked out hat morning after crashing on the couch for the night. The two young men had spent the better part of the evening talking and tentatively feeling their way around one another. Puck had also told him a little about his talk with Mercedes. 

 

The questions that Puck was asking had crossed Kurt’s mind more than once over the years. This was the beginning of something special for all of them. He needed to check in with Mercedes to see where she was at but Kurt was willing to give it a try. 

 

He’d just pulled out mugs when the door bell rang. “I’ve got it,” Kurt called out as he went for the front door. He tipped his head to the side and saw someone standing there. “Wonder who that is?” he said to himself. Opening the second door, he stuck his head out and started to say, “Hello, can I help you?” when the person turned around. 

 

Wisps of blonde hair escaped from the tight knit cap that sat atop Quinn Fabray’s head. “I’d like to think that you’ve always helped me, Kurt,” she said with a laugh. Suddenly, she found herself with an armful of Hummel. 

 

“It’s you!” Kurt drew back and laughed. “Mercedes is going to be so surprised.”

 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 

Quinn looked up at the brownstone and then at the crumpled piece of paper in her hand. Her stomach did a little flip as she thought about what she might find when she got inside. And that's if anyone was home. Still, her mom had emphatically said that Mercedes was sincere about the welcome she'd receive if she showed up unexpectedly. 

After a year of traipsing around the country as well as a few exotic locales around the globe,including one war zone, Quinn had thought herself ready to face anything. So why was walking up to a door and knocking such a big deal? She hefted her pack on her back and made her way carefully up the stairs before slinging it off her shoulder and to the side. One gloved finger pressed the doorbell and she turned to look back out on the street. When the door opened, the last person she expected to see was the exactly the person she needed to. 

“Can I help you?”

“I’d like to think that you’ve always helped me, Kurt,” she said with a laugh. Suddenly, she found herself with an armful of Hummel. 

“It’s you!” Kurt drew back and laughed. “Mercedes is going to be so surprised.”

  
"Hey Kurt," Quinn murmured into his neck before lifting her head. "How've you been?" 

  
"How have I been? Maybe it should be where have *you* been." Kurt hugged her again and looked down at her pack. "Is that all your luggage?" 

Quinn nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. I travel light these days." She grabbed the pack and pushed it in the doorway just as she saw Mercedes standing on the stairs with her mouth hanging open. 

"Hi, Mercedes.” 

It was as though Mercedes came down stairs at the speed of light because suddenly Quinn found herself caught up in yet another hug, her senses filling with the scent of her friend's perfume. She didn't speak, just held on and Quinn let herself sink into that familiar warmth. 

  
"You are such a bitch for not letting anyone know where you were," Mercedes groused as she pulled away, the affectionate look on her face belying her words. "I gave you mom my information the last time I was in town." 

  
Quinn nodded sheepishly, well aware of her own propensity of talking to her mother as little as possible. 'I know, I know and I'm sorry. I just gotten used to going my own way, y'know?" Quinn slipped off her gloves and hat, stuffing them into the pocket of her North Face jacket. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the older black woman standing on the stairs. She slipped around Mercedes and said, "And you must be Aunt Theodora. I'm Quinn Fabray." 

"Oh, I know who you are, honey. These two have talked about you from time to time." Theodora came down the stairs and brushed past Quinn's outstretched hand to hug her quickly. "It's good to see you." She looked over at Mercedes and Kurt. "Well, don't just stand there, get the girl's bag and let's get her warmed up. 

"Quinn looked back to her bag and said, "Oh no, it's okay, I've got it." She took it up once more and said "Where would you like me to put it?" 

"Hall closet will do. You can hang your jacket in there as well. " Theodora made some shooing motions with her hands. "And while you're doing that, these two can get some snacks out. We're big on hospitality." 

Quinn stifled a giggle as she watched Mercedes and Kurt roll their eyes as they moved off to do Theodora's bidding. She looked around the foyer, her eyes taking in the details that were a hallmark of many of the other brownstones on the Row. "This is beautiful." 

  
"Thank you. I was lucky enough to get the house when the prices were practically in the basement." Theodora said. "Over the years I've been able to do enough restoration to make it livable. I didn't want a showpiece." She smiled at Quinn and looped her arm through the younger woman's, leading her into the living room. "Make yourself at home." 

Mercedes and Kurt came back in with drinks and snacks and Quinn was struck at how easily her two friends interacted. It was funny to watch how different people from high school had grown up after graduation. Quinn herself barely felt like the same person. "Alright, spill it, Fabray," Mercedes said. She had plunked herself down next to Quinn on the couch and handed her a cup of hot chocolate. 

  
"Where the hell have you been?" 

  
"What was the last thing you heard?" 

"That you were somewhere on the outskirts of Sarajevo or something," Mercedes said 

Quinn chuckled. "Well it wasn't Sarajevo but it was Prague. I've been doing some freelance photography work for AP." She took a sip of her chocolate, feeling it seeping through her bones and warming her up. "That's what I do now. Pick up freelance assignments when I can or take a longer contract when it suits me. Last year I went with an archaeological dig in the Yucatan." She looked at her two friends. "A girl's gotta work." 

"I never pegged you as a world traveler, that's all," Kurt said. 

Quinn nodded. "Neither did I. In fact, I thought once I got out of school that I'd get a job at a small town paper or one of the larger dailies and take pictures of peoples' weddings for the rest of my life. One of my teachers senior year thought I should think about freelancing." She shrugged. "I won't say it's been tough but Coach Sylvester helped me out some." 

Mercedes held up a hand. "Wait a second. You never told me this story.” 

“No, I didn’t. I was surprised when she helped me come up with the funds to go to school," Quinn said. "Turns out there were a lot of local churches who were willing to help a "fallen girl", her fingers made air quotes, "find her way back on to the straight and narrow." 

She shrugged. "My father wasn't going to help and my mother didn't have the money for me to go to school out of town. Not that that was a requirement," Quinn said, one finger held up for emphasis. "But once we graduated, I knew I just needed to go someplace where no one knew who I was. We cobbled together scholarship and grant money. That took care of tuition and most of my books but I still got a part time job." 

"And the photography?" Kurt waved a hand at her. "I never pictured you as Dorothea Lange." 

  
Quinn laughed lightly. "Trust me, neither did I. I took photography as an elective and liked it. I changed my major and got a Fine Arts degree." She looked from Kurt to Mercedes. "What? I couldn't be a Cheerio for the rest of my life." 

Mercedes grinned. "I'm proud of you, you know that? And when you win a Pulitzer, you'll have to remember all of us little people in your speech." She swooned against Kurt who swatted her affectionately. 

"So, what are your plans next?" Kurt asked. 

Quinn shrugged, her hands knotted in her lap. "I'm not sure. I don't have any contracts coming up and I've been thinking about what I want to do next. I was hoping that the invite included me being here for a little while." 

"Of course it does," Theodora broke in. "These two don't take up that much space and that Puckerman boy only comes round on weekends." Quinn's eyes widened and something inside her tightened. "Puck's here? In New York?" 

Mercedes nodded. "Yeah, he's a cop downtown." She crooked an eyebrow at Quinn's snicker. "Now you're going to be nice to him. He's cleaned up quite a bit since Lima." 

  
"Oh, I believe that. If that's the case then I'm glad. I always wondered if he had it in him." Quinn shook herself. "Talk about small worlds." 

"Speaking of which, he's probably going to swing by this weekend." Mercedes rolled her eyes affectionately. "We feed him. He regales us with stories of life in the NYPD. He comes by when we have gigs here and stuff." 

Theodora got up and waved them. "And that's my cue to head on upstairs. Mercedes, get your friend settled and I'll see you all in the morning." 

The trio said their good nights and then grew quiet when it was the three of them alone. Mercedes hugged Quinn tightly again. Quinn's arms came around her and she whispered, "Thanks for letting me stay." 

  
"It's what we do," Mercedes replied. She drew back and said, "If you don't mind bunking down with me tonight we can get you all set tomorrow. That okay?" 

Quinn nodded. “I’ve lived with you before remember so it’s not a problem.” 

She helped Kurt and Mercedes clean up. Once they were done, the trio made their way upstairs with Kurt dashing into the bathroom first. "Now that the balance of power has tipped in your favor, my bathroom time will have to be carefully maintained," he said from behind the door. 

"Drama queen," Mercedes said. "We'd let you use the bathroom." Beside her Quinn chuckled. The chuckle grew into a full laugh as Kurt replied, "Sure you'd let me use the bathroom. After you've throttled the water heater within an inch of it's life." 

The bathroom door popped open and Kurt stuck his head out. "This is only a defensive measure." He ducked back in when Mercedes lobbed a slipper at him. "Ha!" 

She shook her head and took Quinn's hand. "C'mon, we won't be getting in there for a hot minute." She led the other woman into her bedroom. "You can put your pack over there," she pointed to an out of the way corner. "I'll probably bail before you get up. I've got an early gig at the studio tomorrow." 

Quinn dug into her pack and took out a small toiletry bag and tightly folded pajamas. Then she took up a spot on Mercedes bed. "Mom told me you were singing." 

"Session work, mostly," Mercedes replied. "And most of that is for the contacts. Kurt and I gig around town. We're trying to develop a cabaret show and we sort of do that now with the Friday night salons. We have folks over and set up in the living room. It's not a bad life." 

Quinn cocked her head to the side, the ghost of a small smile on her lips. "You sound happy." 

  
"I guess that's because I am happy," Mercedes replied. "It's not what I expected to have when I got out of Lima but then on the other hand, I never would have discovered who I was had I stuck closer to home." She sat down cross-legged in the middle of the bed and toyed with the comforter. "And then there's Kurt. He was living with Theodora before I even got here. It's nice to have someone to come home to.” 

“I hear you,” Quinn said. “I’ve been wandering for a while. Maybe I just need to stay in one spot and see what happens.

“You don’t have to decide now,” Mercedes said. “You just got here. But if you want to stay, we’ve got more than enough room. Think about it.”

  
“I will.” 

 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 

Quinn fell into the life of the Jones-Hummel-Jones household easier than she expected. There were some set routines that Mercedes, Kurt and Theodora had: work, vocal lessons (Kurt and Mercedes), time out with the girls (Theodora). But there were other times that were clearly about family: dinner, the occasional movie or show. Both Mercedes and Kurt had opened up to the world since they left high school and Lima. 

Although both had been outgoing previously, now Quinn had a chance to see them in their own element. They pulled people into their orbit. Other musicians, singers, former classmates found their way to the door of the brownstone at odd times. It did not take long for Quinn to get used to running into a different person at breakfast at least once a week. 

That is until the morning she walked into find Puck sitting there. 

Theodora had offered Quinn the basement flat as a temporary living solution so that she wasn’t cramped up in Mercedes’ room. “Oh, I don’t mind,” Quinn had said at the time. “Plus I don’t really know how long I’ll be staying.” 

“Mmm hmmm, you’ve been here two weeks already,” Theodora pointed out. “Look at it this way, you’d be doing me a favor. I’ve been meaning to clean that flat out for years. These two,” she gestured with her thumb toward Kurt and Mercedes who stood behind her, “promised to deal with it a while back and Puck has already moved some of it out. Let’s just say I have a feeling and leave it at that.”

She’d swept out of the room leaving a slightly dumbfounded Quinn in her wake. “Is she always like that?” she asked. Mercedes waved a hand in her direction. 

“Just go with it. Theodora eventually gets her way.”

Which is how Quinn found herself knee deep in boxes filled with mementos from Theodora’s Columbia years. Some things were clearly destined for the trash and those she separated out into their own pile. However, everything else was a treasure trove to Quinn’s still developing photographer’s eye. She went upstairs for a garbage bag and as she walked into the kitchen she heard Kurt laughing and a deeper answering one. 

She poked her head around the corner and saw Puck sitting at the kitchen table. He hadn’t seen her yet so she took a moment to look at him. 

There were still hints of the teenager he’d once been in the cut of his jaw and the closeness of his hair. But those were superficial. He smiled easily now and it no longer had the hard cynical edge that she remembered. Quinn took a step and the floor board creaked beneath her foot. Puck’s head whipped around. 

“Quinn,” he breathed. “Hi.”

She stepped all the way into the room. “Hey yourself. How’ve you been, Puck?” 

“Good,” Puck said sincerely. “I’ve been good. I had some time this morning and I thought I’d stop in.” He hesitated and then he said, “You look good.”

A space in her heart that she hadn’t realized she had warmed at the compliment. “Thanks.” She glanced at Kurt who was observing this exchange with interest. “Kurt and Mercedes told me that they’d run into you. “ Quinn shifted from foot to foot, not sure of what else to say. It was an awkward meeting to say the least. 

Puck seemed to pick up on her unease and got to his feet. “Listen, I need to run. Got things to do this morning.” He walked over to Kurt and kissed him lightly on the lips. “See you at seven?” 

“Sure,” Kurt replied. “Dinner here or out?”

“Out. There’s this place that Mike told me about that I think you’ll like.” Sliding his arms around Kurt’s shoulder, he gave the other man a brief hug. “See you.”

Walking past Quinn, he nodded. “It’s good to see you. Maybe if you have some time, we can catch up.” 

Quinn smiled. “I’d like that.” She turned to watch him go. He’d reached the front door just as Mercedes came downstairs. 

“Didn’t want to miss you,” her friend said as she reached Puck. 

“How could you?” Puck replied with a smile. “I’m a little unforgettable.” 

Mercedes slapped him lightly on the chest and smirked. “Yeah, and modest too.” Standing on tiptoe, she kissed him which Puck returned enthusiastically. “Have a good day.” 

Puck was gone with a wave and at that point, Quinn was pretty sure her eyebrows were in her hairline. “Close your mouth, sweetie,” Mercedes said as she swept by. A thousand thoughts filled her head. 

“Did you just…?” she began. Both Kurt and Mercedes looked at her questioningly. 

“You know what? Don’t mind me,” Quinn amended. “Got any garbage bags?”

*** 

In the years since she’d left Lima, Quinn found it easier to sometimes sit back and observe a situation rather than just jump right in. Her observational skills served her well in the field when she was on assignment and she employed them here. 

Clearly Puck, Mercedes and Kurt were somehow tied together. When Quinn searched her heart, she realized that old hurts that she used to associate with Puck, and by extension, Beth, were no longer in evidence. She wasn’t that person any more - the one who’d been so starved for affection at home that she’d found it, or thought she had, somewhere else. Quinn was no fool. She’d dodged a bullet when she gave Beth up for adoption and over time, she excised any lingering regret she had over her choice. 

Quinn embraced the celibacy as an adult on her own terms unlike her years as a reluctant celibate high school student. This time , she found that her creativity grew as she channeled all of that energy into learning and refining her craft. 

Still, Quinn could not help it that her curiosity was piqued by Puck’s presence in the house and in Kurt and Mercedes’ lives. The closest analogy she could use was a dance but instead of a pair there were three partners, ebbing and flowing and figuring things out. 

What remained was how long Quinn thought she could go before she actually asked someone about it.. 

Oddly enough, the itch to immediately move on had yet to make it’s appearance.  Normally, Quinn would be scouring her contacts, looking for that next assignment.  When she mentioned it to Theodora, the other woman looked at her thoughtfully.  “Could be you just need a bit of a rest,”  she said speculatively.  “Then on the other hand, could be something else.” 

It was the ‘something else’ that poked at Quinn’s curiosity.  She checked her bank account and though she wasn’t rich, she had enough to be comfortable for a little while and that meant she could take a little time and figure out what she wanted to do next. 

She felt a tap on her shoulder. “Hmm?” 

“ I didn’t want to interrupt the obviously deep thinking going on but you were asking me about Puck?” 

“ He’s around.” 

“ We established this part already.”  Mercedes made a little “keep going” motion with her hand.   

“ Um, are you two...”  Quinn drifted off when she saw Mercedes’ eyebrows go up a little. 

“ Move it along, Fabray.” 

“ When did you get so pushy?” 

“ How long have you known me?” 

“ Good point.”  Quinn sighed.  “You know, I don’t exactly know what I’m asking or why I’m even asking it.  It’s not like I’m interested.” 

Mercedes sighed and poked her lightly in the arm.  “Doesn’t mean you don’t have eyes or that you don’t care.  For what it’s worth, I don’t have a solid answer for you either so we’re even.”   

Kurt’s door opened and he stepped out dressed for work.  He was slipping his gloves on as he passed both women and stopped at the edge of the stairs. “Remember what I said, Quinn.” 

Quinn rolled her eyes.  “I know.  Internet equals death.” 

“ Precisely.  Now that we’ve settled that, you ladies have a good day.”  He stepped back, gave them both a kiss on the cheek and started down the stairs. 

“ Kurt?” 

This time when he turned around, he was perfectly framed in Quinn’s viewfinder, one hand on the bannister, the other holding on to his messenger bag, his long gray wool coat a perfect compliment for the pearl colored silk scarf around his neck.  She snapped the picture then walked over to show it to him.  His eyes lit up when he saw it.  “Alright, I forgive you. But,”  he held up a finger warningly.  “That other picture does not exist.” 

“ Kurt, the camera never lies.”  She chuckled as he made his way down the stairs.   

“ Dinner’s at 6:30.  Call if you’re running late.”  Mercedes called after him, getting a wave of the hand in response.  Once he was out the door she turned to Quinn.  “I’m out just as soon as you do your business.” 

“ Oh crap, I forgot!”  Quinn handed off her camera and dashed into the bathroom.  Mercedes shook her head then stepped back in her room to get her own things together. 

 


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 

 

As Quinn moved about her adopted neighborhood, she was well aware of the subtle looks that she’d sometimes get from some of the other residents. 

 

Harlem in the 21st century was still experiencing a gradual gentrification although economics had slowed it even more. Some older Black residents were still moving out, although a multicultural monied younger generation was moving in. The Row hadn’t experienced as much change so Quinn and Kurt still stuck out a bit. Eventually, a few of Theodora’s long time neighbors spoke to her or at least favored her with a nod of the head that Quinn always returned. It definitely helped that they knew Kurt and Mercedes and were familiar with the comings and goings of their household. 

 

Quinn didn’t take it personally, having seen how change had come in many of the places she’d visited on assignment. She continued her project of working on the downstairs flat and walking the city, camera in hand. Even though it was closing in on Christmas, Quinn wasn’t feeling compelled to take the obvious shots of the city in the throes of preparation. The parks were a perfect canvas for what she was feeling: snow dusted and sleeping until spring. 

 

*** 

Quinn was heading out early one Sunday morning when Puck came downstairs. “Where are you off to?” he asked. 

 

She shrugged. “Out and about. There’s a storm coming. Weatherman said that they’re not sure how long it’s going to last so I thought I’d get some shots up on the High Line while I can.” A pause and then Quinn said, “If you’re not doing anything, I’d enjoy the company.” 

  
Puck hesitated. “You sure?” 

 

The weight of history lay behind that question, something that Quinn was able to dispel with an easy, “Yes I am. I know the two of them,” nodding toward the upper floor, “are not moving for at least another few hours if they don’t have to.” 

 

Puck nodded and smiled sheepishly. “Yeah. They’re kind of like that. Let me grab my coat and let them know we’re going out. Give me five minutes?” 

 

It was more like ten by the time the two set off. Quinn looked at the slate gray sky and wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck. “It looks like that storm might be coming in a little sooner that expected.” 

 

Puck checked out the sky himself then looked at her. “You can tell just by looking at the sky?” Quinn smiled and nodded. 

 

“It’s not an exact science but when you’re out in the field as much as I am, you become a lot more observant. You also learn to carry a packable raincoat if you don’t want to get all wet.”

 

 

“Sounds like you know this from experience,” Puck said. 

 

“You could say that.”

 

They made small talk most of the way to the High Line. Once there, Puck followed in Quinn’s wake as she would stop, frame her shot, take it and then move on. He saw echoes of the girl she had been in the way she held herself , the way she walked. The memories fell away leaving him with the woman he was with now. 

 

“You don’t say much.”

 

“Hmm?” Puck turned to see her looking at him. Quinn always had a beautiful smile and she turned it on him now. 

 

“You’re different. I like it.”

 

He ducked his head and then gestured at one of the benches. “Sit?” 

 

“Sure.”

 

As they sat down, the wind picked up a little, lifting the fine hair on the back of Quinn’s neck. Puck rocked a little, and blew on his hands. “Cold?” Quinn asked. 

 

He nodded ruefully. “Yeah, I think I may have left my gloves at the house.” He stuck his hands in his pockets intending to warm them when his fingers stroked over balled up wool. Puck pulled it out and realize it was a pair of gloves. “She strikes again,” he said softly and slipped them on. 

 

Quinn looked at the smile on his face and said gently, “Mercedes.” 

 

“Yeah.” Puck looked at her. “I know you’ve got some questions.”

 

She shrugged. “You three are pretty discreet but it’s also hard not to notice. “ Quinn hesitated for a moment. “It is all three of you, isn’t it?” 

 

Puck nodded. “It is.” He looked down at his hands, imagining Mercedes slipping the gloves into his pockets. Suddenly, Quinn’s hand touched his. Looking up into her eyes, he saw a sort of understanding. 

 

“I think the last time I ever saw you in love is the night I gave birth to Beth,” she said. “I didn’t think I’d ever see it again.”

 

He laughed, even as tears threatened at the corners of his eyes. “Funny about that. I didn’t think I’d ever get here.” His hands covered hers and squeezed. “Quinn, I know it’s a long time ago but for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.” 

 

“Nothing to be sorry for,” Quinn replied. “On my less then charitable days, there were times when I blamed you for everything that happened but in the end, I had to own up to my part in it. We got lucky. Beth has a great home. You and I got second chances.” She reached up and drew his head down so she could kiss his forehead. When she released him, his eyes were closed as though he were receiving a blessing. 

 

Maybe he was. It was in her power to give. 

 

“Are they happy?”

 

Puck took a deep breath. “I think so. We’re taking it one day at a time, trying not to call it anything in particular and just letting it all happen.” 

 

Quinn smiled. “Then I guess that’s what matters. Though I have to say that we are definitely a long way from Lima.” 

 

Puck laughed. “That is is the understatement of the century.” He got to his feet and held out his hand. “You ready to go?” 

 

“I am.” She looked at him and crooked an eyebrow. “I believe you have a date to get ready for,” she said mischievously.

 

“Really, Fabray? You gonna go there?”

 

~*~ 

 

Kurt pushed a hand through his hair and sighed. He was close, he could feel it. Just one piece of the melody was eluding him and it was driving him crazy. 

*Click* 

  
He turned his head at the sound and saw Quinn standing there with her camera, a sheepish smile on her face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you." Kurt smiled slightly. 

"I was stuck anyway. What’s going on?" Quinn moved all the way in the room and sat down in the chair that Kurt had not covered in sheet music or theory books. She put her camera on a clear space on the table and sat back. 

"I went out today, taking pictures and just seeing the city." Quinn shrugged. "Trying to get a feel for what's here." 

"Are you thinking about staying?" 

  
The blonde turned and looked at Kurt. "I...I hadn't really given it all that much thought." Kurt drummed his fingers on the table. 

  
"I know Mercedes asked you," he said. “And Theodora.” 

Quinn chuckled. "Something told me that she would have. You two are so close." 

Kurt nodded. "Yeah we are but she wasn't just putting you on. We talked about it and we have the room. Even if it's only for a little while. Cheap rent, a place to find your feet." He reached out and grasped her hand. "Quinn, I like who you are now and I'd like to see who you're going to be. You just need a safe space for a little while." Kurt squeezed her hand. "Think about it, okay?" 

  
Quinn was quiet and she looked at their hands, Kurt’s clasping hers lightly. "I'll think about it. Promise." She pulled away and picked up her camera again. "Do you mind?" 

  
Kurt waved at her tiredly. "No, go right ahead. Document my impending failure." He grinned at her when she laughed and then turned back to his work, letting the click of the shutter fade into the background. 

  
Years later, a black and white picture of Kurt, sitting at the table with his work scattered around him, became one her most sought after images. 

~*~ 

Quinn called a good friend of hers in California who was subletting her apartment and made arrangements to have the rest of her equipment sent East. When she finished the call, she blew out a breath. 

 

“I’m staying,” she said that night at dinner. Kurt and Mercedes looked at each other and smiled. Theodora nodded. “The flat downstairs is yours. But you knew that already.”

 

“O-kay, I guess I did,” Quinn replied. 

 

 


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 

Winifred turned the corner on to Theodora's street and said, "I have tickets for that revival of Your Arms too short to box with God. I was thinking maybe we could get some of the girls together this weekend and make a day of it?" 

Theodora nodded. "I'd like that.” She looked out the window thoughtfully. “Seems like there's not too many of us left, Winnie."

Winifred made an affirmative sound. "Time moves on. Sometimes it's like it was yesterday and other days,"

"Aches, pains and visits to the doctor," Theodora finished succinctly. "We're old. It comes with the territory."

They pulled up in front of the house and Winnie pulled over. Theodora got out carefully, mindful of the slushy street. Closing the door, she turned back and poked her head into the window. "Call me tomorrow and I'll get us reservations over at One Fish, Two Fish. We can go for dinner after the show."

She made it up the stairs and waved as Winnie drove away. Hanging up her coat, Theodora saw the other coats gone and knew that the kids were out and about. As she made her way into the living room, she looked around: Kurt had left some sheet music stuck in his latest copy of Billboard. There were neatly stacked letters on another table, Mercedes and her straightening. Theodora shook her head fondly. Little bits and pieces of their lives permeated the house and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Sitting down on the couch, she covered her knees with a blanket and picked up her copy of Bon Apetit, flipping through it as she thought about what to make for dinner that night.

Her right hand tightened briefly and Theodora looked at it with a frown. Odd, she thought, flexing the fingers. She went back to her magazine and this time the pain shot straight up her arm.

"Oh, my," she gasped trying to take a deep breath. Her chest clenched, released and clenched again and as her vision began to darken Theodora thought, "Niece, I'm so very sorry."

  
***  
Mercedes skipped up the steps and into the warm house. It had been a very good day: more work on the horizon but even better Pete had asked if he could come to the next show that she and Kurt had lined up.

"I'd like to see your act. I know you've got the skills and the talent and I've been asking around. Maybe we can make something happen."

Finally, all that hard work that she and Kurt had been putting in just might pay off but then Theodora and Kurt had always told her that. In the end she just needed to believe it.

As she walked into the living room, she realized that Theodora lay on the couch. "Oops," she said softly, intending to creep by on her way to the kitchen but as she passed something didn't feel right.

Theodora lay with her face turned toward the cushions, peaceful, her blanket on her lap along with an open magazine. Mercedes stepped closer, dread closing around her heart. She went to one knee and took the bird thin hand that had slipped from beneath the blanket in her own.

“Oh no,” Mercedes whispered as she cradled Theodora's hand. Fat tears rolled down her face and on to the floor. Leaning in, she ran the back of her hand down Theodora's cheek before she tucked the col hand back beneath the blanket. Mercedes got to her feet and pulled the big wing back chair close to the couch. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her phone, fingers dialing on autopilot.

***

"So Doris says to me that we're going to be spending Christmas with the in-laws again this year." Mike groused. Puck laughed.

"C'mon, Mike, you know this is what you're going to do, why do you even fight it?"

Mike gave Puck the side eye. "For your information, I was able to let my beloved wife know that I got us tickets to go on a cruise this Christmas."

"And how did that go over?" Puck asked.

"She's already packing."

The two men laughed and Puck was still chuckling when his cell phone rang. He fished it out and said, "Puckerman."

There was a brief moment of silence then the sound of someone pulling in a deep breath. "Puck."

Puck frowned. "Kurt? Kurt is something wrong?"

Kurt's voice came back subdued. "Mercedes..."

"What's wrong with Mercedes?" Puck nearly shouted. Mike was looking at him frowning and Puck dropped his tone down. "Kurt, tell me."

"It's Theodora. She's...she's dead. The EMTs are saying it was a heart attack. Mercedes isn't moving, Puck. She called me and I came home but she's not moving."

Puck swallowed hard, his head spinning. Turning to Mike he say, "Mike, I need to get to Harlem."

"Address," Mike barked. Puck gave it to him and Mike turned on to Madison Avenue and sped up a little. Puck vaguely heard him calling in their position and telling dispatch that there was a family emergency. He turned his attention back to Kurt.

"Kurt, babe, is Quinn there?"

"Yeah," Kurt hiccuped. "Sorry."

Puck closed his eyes for a moment and replied. "It’s fine. I'm on the way. Put Quinn on." 

There was a brief break then Quinn's voice came on the line. "Puck."

"What can you tell me?"

"Theodora died sometime this afternoon.” Quinn said. “It looks like a heart attack from what the EMTs are saying but, Puck, Mercedes came home first and found her. She's shut down."

"I'll be there in about," Puck looked up to see Mike flash his fingers at him twice. "Ten minutes. We're ten minute out. Take care of them till I get there."

"On it," Quinn replied. "I'll see you."

Puck hung up his phone and tucked it back in his pocket. Mike didn't even look at him when he said, "Dispatch has us off shift. I'll get you there."

Twelve minutes later they were pulling up in front of the brown stone, skirting the emergency vehicles that were parked there and finding a spot. Puck was out of the car the minute Mike stopped and bounding up the stairs. He burst through the door seeing bustling emergency workers and a very worried Quinn talking to one of them. She looked up and excused herself and walked over. 

"I'm glad you're here."

"Yeah, thanks." Puck turned and saw Mercedes still in the wing back chair, a blanket tucked around her shoulders and Kurt next to her, holding on to her hand. He spared a look at Quinn who made a quick shooing motion with her hand.

"I've got this."

Mouthing thank you, he walked over to Mercedes and Kurt, going to one knee beside them. Kurt's red rimmed eyes found his and Puck reached out to squeeze he shoulder before turning his attention to Mercedes.

"Hey sweetheart," he said softly, one hand stealing under the blanket to clasp her other hand. Cold fingers barely moved in his palm. "Look at me."

Mercedes' eyes flicked toward him but she made no other move. Puck knew all about this kind of shock having faced grieving families and other loved ones in his short time on the force. This was the same, yet different. He'd known Theodora so there was not comforting distance that he could use to cocoon himself away from the feelings. She'd welcomed him into her home, Kurt and Mercedes had welcomed him into their hearts. Even Quinn, with all that lay between them, had told him in so many ways that it was possible for them to become something new as friends. Anything was possible.

Puck raised his free hand to brush his fingers over Mercedes cheek. "You found her, didn't you?"

She nodded slowly, her eyes haunted. "She was," she swallowed and continued, "She just looked like she was sleeping. It wasn’t until I came over that I realized she was gone." The words began to flow then. "I didn't know what to do, so I called Kurt. I thought about calling you, but I knew you were busy and all I could do was just sit here with her she looked so peaceful and maybe she was going to wake up and it would all be just a big joke, you know?"

The tears welled up in her eyes and began to roll down her cheeks once more. The fingers in Puck's hand fluttered then curved around his own, the grip tightening as she talked. "Puck, she's gone. Theodora's really gone."

Mercedes' body began to shake as she sobbed into the cushions of her chair. Puck got as close as the chair would allow, his arms sliding around her shoulder, repositioning Mercedes so she was crying against his chest. Kurt's hand stole over both of theirs, warm and solid and they rocked Mercedes between them as best they could.

Quinn watched from her spot in the doorway, Mike standing by her side. "I'm gonna get back to the squad." he said. "Tell Puckerman to call in tomorrow and take the day off. I'm pretty sure he's got the time on the books."

"Thanks," Quinn said softly. She looked the older man up and down. "This doesn't bug you?"

Mike turned his attention to the three in the living room and shrugged. "None of my business if you know what I mean. But Noah's a good guy. If this makes him happy, I can't complain." He nodded at her and walked out the door, closing it behind him. Quinn locked it and was on her way to the kitchen when she heard a soft voice say, "Quinn."

She turned and Mercedes was beckoning her over. Quinn's heart twisted and she walked over. "I'm so sorry," she said, her voice low. "So very sorry."

"I know," Mercedes replied. "Stay, please?"

The four of them sat that way, hands entwined with one another until the sun went down.

 


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The next few days were a flurry of activity as everyone pitched in to prepare for Theodora's funeral. True to her habits, Theodora had already planned her funeral and the order of service down to the letter. "I don't know if I should be grateful or freaked out that she was that clear about what she wanted done," Mercedes said as she went over the checklist sitting in front of her.

Mercedes family had flown in from Lima within a day of getting the news but rather than bunking down in Theodora's, Mercedes' mother had booked them into a hotel that was easily accessible. "You have enough on your plate without all of us getting underfoot,.” Patrice Jones was very practical in that way. "We'll come over and divvy up what need to get done."

Though the grief was fresh, there was something very comforting of having a list. Theodora had put a great deal of thought in what she wanted. The memorial service would take place at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine which would be enough to accommodate all of the people that would probably want to come.

That fact alone had been somewhat astounding to Mercedes. Retired record company executives, musicians, all manner of people that Theodora either knew personally or whom had known of her had called, sent messages and flowers as well as offered to help.

"Your aunt was quite the mover," Quinn observed as she wrote down the name of a reclusive jazz trumpeter who called to say that he would play at Theodora's service.

"I never realized that she knew so many people," Mercedes replied.

Kurt walked into the room with a pile of papers and kissed her on the cheek."How are you doing?"

Mercedes took a deep breath. "I'm sad and it hurts but Theodora gave me so much. She made sure we all had a place to call home, that I had a place where I could grow up. I'll miss her. But at the same time, I know I'm going to be okay." She looked from Quinn to Kurt. "Does that make any sense?"

They both nodded and Kurt reached over to pull her head to rest against his own. That's how Puck found them when he walked in. "Hey, I've got some food, if that'll help."

He put the food down on a side table and shrugged out of his coat. "I've got a few days off as well so I'll be here to help you guys get all of this together."

Kurt, Mercedes, and Quinn all looked at each other as Puck began to put food on the table. He realized they were watching him and said, "What?"

"What did you tell them at the station?" Kurt asked curiously.

Puck's lips twitched into a smile that bordered on a smirk. "I told them that I had a family situation and that my partners needed me to help."

Quinn spoke first. . "And how did that go over?"

"Mike helped me out with the captain. A few of the guys said some stuff." He shrugged. "It's not a big deal."

Mercedes let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and got up from her chair. She slipped her arm around Puck's neck and held on tight. His arms came around her and he buried his face in her neck. "I wasn't going to let you do this without me," he whispered against her skin. "We can do this."

"Yeah, we can." Mercedes drew back and wiped her cheeks. "No, it's all right. Just feeling really raw right now. I need to feel this."

Puck grew her close again, cradling her head against his chest. Quinn met Puck's eyes when he lifted his head. Her blue eyes met his and the briefest of smiles graced her lips. She nodded at him and went back to her work.

  
~*~

 _Theodora Sephronia Jones, a former executive for CBS records was laid to rest today at Mt. Hebron Hills in Queens. Ms. Jones was an integral part of the transition from race records to what we now call R &B. _

_She was instrumental in opening the doors for many other women and minorities in the upper echelons of record management, having help guide the careers of many future Grammy winners. Ms. Jones was also known for opening her Harlem home to many a starving (and not so starving) artist, hosting numerous gatherings that served as impromptu jam sessions, a tradition being continued by her niece, Mercedes Jones_

 _Ms. Jones is survived by her niece, Ms. Mercedes Jones, late of Lima, Ohio, her brother Aldus Jones, and numerous other friends and relatives. A memorial celebration of her life will be held at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on December 6th._

  

  *  _NY TIMES Obituary, 12/20/18._

  



~*~

Kurt looked around the massive cathedral and watched as more and more people walked into the sanctuary. Mercedes and her family were making the rounds, talking and shaking hands with many of the attendees. Periodically, he'd see her look up and spot him, Puck, or Quinn and she'd smile, going back to what she was doing.

"Hey son."

Kurt turned and saw his father behind him. "Dad, what are you doing here?" He hugged his father and swept his bangs off his forehead. "Not that I'm not glad to see you. Is something wrong? Is everything okay at home?"

Burt chuckled, holding up his hands to slow Kurt down. "No, everything is fine. Finn and Carole send their love . They’re holding down the fort. I thought you'd like some support."

"Thanks. But I must admit, I'm a little confused. You didn't know Theodora that well."

Burt clapped his hand on Kurt's shoulder, pulling him against his side. "I knew her a little but what matters more to me is she gave you a home. that makes her aces in my book."

Kurt hugged his father around his waist and said, "I'm glad you're here."

Mercedes walked up at that moment with her parents. They greeted Burt warmly and then Mercedes said, "I'm going to steal Kurt here for a few minutes."

She tucked her arm is his and they wove their way through the crowd toward Puck and Quinn who were making sure that everything was going smoothly with the performers who'd come to pay their respects. "You guys are all sitting with me in the front," Mercedes said firmly.

Puck and Quinn looked at each other, then at Kurt. All three of them turned their eyes on Mercedes. "You're my family just as much as my folks are. Plus Theodora would expect you to be right up there with me. Don't argue."

  
"So not arguing with the grieving woman," Puck said and Quinn giggled. Then Kurt said, "Are you sure?" At Mercedes' raised brow, he conceded. Patrice and Aldus looked at their elder daughter when she took her place in the front row, flanked by Kurt, Puck and Quinn.

Something about the way the four of them sat so close together caught Patrice's attention. Periodically, she's watch them out of the corner of her eye.

  
Mercedes' held Kurt's hand while Puck held the other. Quinn sat pressed against Puck.

She could say something but what could she say? Patrice turned her attention back to proceedings, tucking her thoughts to the back of her mind.

After an hour , Mercedes, Quinn, Puck and Kurt left their seats and went to the front of the sanctuary. They sat down behind four microphones, Puck and Kurt flanking Mercedes with Quinn sitting to Kurt’s left. Taking a deep breath, Mercedes said, "Theodora Jones was an amazing woman. You wouldn't be here if you didn't know that."

A ripple of chuckles ran through the room punctuated by one or two shouts of, "You got that right." Mercedes smiled softly and continued.

"One thing that Theodora used to tell me is that you always carry your music with you. It's only fitting that we offer her a little more to speed her journey forward."

Puck picked out the opening chords to _Shower the People_ and Mercedes began to sing.

***

It was approaching midnight by the time the last guests went home. Patrice kissed Mercedes on the cheek and looked over her shoulder at the other three. "I have a million questions that I'm not sure I'm ready to hear the answer to," she said.

Mercedes nodded. "I guess you do." She looked back and Kurt nodded at her as he, Puck and Quinn finished picking up the remaining trash from the living room. "Mom, I'm figuring it all out."

Patrice ran her fingers over Mercedes' head. "I know you are. Allow your mother to worry a little." She kissed her on the cheek again and walked down the stairs to where Aldus waited with their rental car. Mercedes waved and stayed on the stoop until the car's back lights turned the corner, then she walked back in the house and locked the door.

Leaning against it, she rested her head on the hard wood and sighed.

"Penny for your thoughts."

Mercedes opened her eyes to see Puck standing in front of her. "I think my mother and I might be having a talk soon."

"Oh." He blew out a breath. "Okay, is this a good talk or a bad talk?"

"I'm not sure. And right now, I don't particularly care." Walking forward, she wrapped her arms around his waist and tilted her face up for a kiss. Never one to refuse a lady Puck gave her what she wanted, something nice, slow and easy, his hands rubbing up and down her sides.

Breaking off the kiss, he caught one of her hands and brought it to his lips, kissing the knuckles. "You ready for bed?"

"Yeah, I think I am." She caught Quinn heading for her flat and said, "Quinn."

"Hmm?"

"I don't know if I said this to you before but thank you for everything." Mercedes said shyly. "I know you didn't sign on for this."

Quinn came forward and kissed Mercedes lightly. "You stood by me when I needed a friend. I'm just glad I got to do the same for you." She nodded at Puck and said, “See you guys in the morning.”

Puck and Mercedes made their way up the stairs, stopping only to hit the bathroom before making their way to Mercedes' room. Kurt was already there. "I thought you two were never coming up."

"Did you miss us?" Mercedes asked, slipping her dress off and hanging it up carefully. She stripped down and then slipped into bed with Puck close behind. The three of them snuggled close together, the architecture of their positions bringing Kurt into contact with Mercedes' chest with Puck pressed close behind her, his cock sliding between her ass cheeks.

"I always miss you," Kurt whispered, kissing her forehead before kissing her lips softly. Mercedes moaned into his mouth, her hands smoothing down his side. Behind her, Puck ran his hands over her , reaching to touch Kurt as well. Their movements were soft and languid, not meaning to arouse to completion.

Together, they walked through the remainder of their grief, touching, tethering one another to the earth.

 


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Mercedes was sitting down to have some coffee when the phone rang. "Hello?"

"May I speak to Mercedes Jones, please?"

"This is she."

The voice on the other end of the line was older but friendly. "Miss Jones, my name is Brian Smith, I was your aunt's attorney. I was wondering if you could come by my office sometime soon? Your aunt left a will."

She reached over to grab a pad and pen. “Theodora never said anything about a will.”

The lawyer continued. "If you have some time over the next few days, I'd appreciate if you would come by my office so I can detail the contents of the will. Oh and you should bring, " there was a brief shuffling of paper and then his voice came back on. "It says here Kurt Hummel, Noah Puckerman and Quinn Fabray should come with you."

Mercedes wrote down the address and bid the man goodbye. Quinn came in, brushing snow off her shoulders. "Hey you," she said. "What's up?"

"That was my aunt's lawyer," Mercedes said. "He wants us to come in for the reading of her will."

"We as in me?" Quinn asked surprised.

"That's what he said. I have to round up Puck and Kurt too. We're all supposed to go." Mercedes pushed away from the table and leaned back in her chair. "What ever is in it concerns all of us."

"That's a surprise."

"These things usually are."

~*~

A few days after New Year’s, the four of them were sitting in the attorney's office. "Let me just say how sorry I am about Theodora's passing.” The older man offered. “We'd known each other for a long time."

"Thank you." Mercedes replied. "You asked me to bring my friends along." She looked at the three others, her fingers linked with Kurt and Puck's. "Is it something bad?"

"Not in the least. In fact, this might be your lucky day. Your aunt left you the house and all it's contents."

Silence reigned as the words sank in. "She left me the house?" Mercedes was still trying to process what he'd just said. "But, but, I don't have a steady gig. How will I pay for everything?"

"As to how you'll pay for upkeep, you'll be happy to know that Theodora actually owned the house and not the bank. She paid off her loan years ago. You'll have maintenance concerns but the house was completely renovated a few years before you and Mr. Hummel moved in with her."

"Theodora loved you," Kurt said. "You said she gave you a home and now she really did."

"Now, the three of you also figure into the will. Miss Fabray, Theodora left you her photo albums in the hope that you can cull through them and give the pictures to the appropriate venues that would be interested in them. Along with a small financial token to help along with the work."

Quinn was taken aback and Mercedes reached around Kurt to pat her on the knee. "Close your mouth, sweetie."

Quinn's mouth snapped shut and she looked around Mercedes to say, "Did you know about this?"

"Hell no."

A slight caught their attention back to the lawyer. "Yes, well, the next items. These have been earmarked for Mr. Hummel. Theodora's music collection, in addition to her collection of cufflinks which she seemed to collect from many of her male companions. What you cannot use, she expect you to pass on to others."

Kurt blushed lightly. "I can do that." Mercedes poked him in the side. "Ow! What was that for?"

"You had better share the Stevie Wonder."

"We'll have to see." Kurt shot back.

"Mr. Puckerman, Theodora left you $15,000 in the hope that you would go back to school or put toward something of your choosing."

Puck sat up straight as he thought about the gift. "I don’t know what to say,”

  
"Join the party." Mercedes said. She turned her attention back the lawyer who was watching them with undisguised humor. "Is there anything else?"

The lawyer took out a single envelope and slid it across the top of his desk. "This letter might help. Theodora wrote it a month ago."

Mercedes opened the letter and started to read:

 _"Dear Niece (and stop rolling your eyes)._

 _These past few years have been wonderful. Having you, and Kurt living with me helped me to remember everything I loved about being young. Once Puck and Quinn came to stay, well, let's just say that after a while, it was like they'd always been in the house._

I want you to be happy. If having Puck and Kurt means you'll be happy then clearly that's what you should do and everyone else be damned. I could tell you that life is too short but I'd be lying because my life has been long. Maybe it's because I've had so much love in it to hold me up. I hope you will too.

Now I know that the house is probably worrying you a little bit and I want you to know that it's all taken care of. I bought it when the market was cheap and it has been worth the money that I put into it. I hope that this will provide all of you a base from which to work some magic. Because what you are all creating is something special. Nurture that and it will grow.

Love your aunt Theodora

"Okay, so, it looks like I'm a home owner." Mercedes looked at her lovers and friend and smiled widely. "Think I should raise your rents?"

~*~

They made it through the holidays and plunged into working on the first salon of the new year, having suspended them in the wake of Theodora's death.

"I was thinking," Kurt began. "What about a tribute to Theodora?"

  
He looked at Mercedes and Puck who sat on the couch together. Puck pressed a kiss to Mercedes' forehead and glanced at Kurt. "Keep talking."

“The salons were her idea so I think the first new one of the year should be all about her. Maybe pick some of her favorite songs and have them reinterpreted."

As Kurt spoke, his eyes sparkled with excitement. "We’ll record it this time."

“You know, I could talk to Pete Dallas over at the studio about it. He might be able to help us out." Mercedes offered. "We know at least two people who have portable recording equipment. I think it's a good idea."

"Dibs on the art work," Quinn's voice floated in from the door way. She raised her camera and snapped off a shot of the three of them. "I was going through Theodoric's pictures and there's a few that I think would reproduce well on a sleeve." Moving into the room, she took a few more pictures."

"You and that camera," Puck groused to which Quinn answered, "I'm documenting. When you become famous, I'll have the only pictures of those intimate moments that only happen in the background."

"How long have you been rehearsing that line?" Kurt asked.

  
Quinn shrugged, "I got it off a coffee table book. You don't think I could ever come up with that kind of drivel did you?"

  
They talked about the plan for the rest of the night and the next morning, Mercedes rolled into Dallas' office with their proposal.

"I have to tell you, Mercedes, I was hoping that you would invite me over."

  
"Really?"

  
"Sure, how could I not want tickets to what might one day be the hottest show in town."

~*~

February arrived and Mercedes and Kurt plunged into the planning with gusto. They set the date for February 13th and 14th committing to do two salons instead of the usual one.

"Someone tell me again why we're having a salon on the unluckiest day of the year." Mercedes groaned as she looked at the calendar.

  
"It's balanced out by Valentine's Day," Puck supplied along with a kiss. "That should be enough."

  
Mercedes shook herself and said, "You're probably right. Superstitions shouldn't stop a show from going on."

  
For two night more than thirty musicians came and performed in the living and dining rooms, rotating out when things got too crowded. Dallas was good as his word, taking the tapes that were recorded on site and mastering them in the studio. The resulting effort became a sought after collector’s item.

  
Although the pictures that Quinn put together for the sleeve were memorable, the one that Mercedes treasured the most was the one that was on the back: the four of them sitting on the front steps of the house, their arms around each other. She hung the original on the living room wall.

~*~

 _From Marco's Mixtape Review, New York Underground Magazine, March 1, 2019:_

 _The hottest mixtape in town was produced in a living room uptown where music's past and present meet to create something new._

 _Live from The House of Love is a memorial compilation that honors both the life of Theodora Jones and presents a view of the future in the voices of Ms. Jones' niece, Mercedes and her musical partner, Kurt Hummel. Ms. Jones and Mr. Hummel have become fairly well know around town for their live musical act in addition to the monthly music salons that they've been producing for the past several years. More than thirty musicians appear on the mixtape and Pete Dallas presided over the final mastering, retaining the lively spirit of the proceedings._

 _Catch this one if you can, kittens._

 

**Author's Note:**

> Songs Referenced
> 
> Hello Again  
> Lyrics: Copyright Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC  
> Songwriters: Diamond, Neil/ Lindgren, Alan  
> Artist: Neil Diamond  
> Album: The Jazz Singer
> 
> Sara Smile  
> Lyrics: Copyright Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.  
> Songwriters: Hall, Daryl/Oates, John  
> Artist(s): Daryl Hall and John Oates  
> Album: Daryl Hall & John Oates
> 
> I’ll Never Fall In Love Again  
> Lyrics: Copyright Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.  
> Songwriters: Bacharach, Burt/David, Hal  
> Artist: Dionne Warwick  
> Album:
> 
> (They Long To Be) Close to You  
> Lyrics: Copyright: New Hidden Valley Music administered by WB Music Corp. / Casa David (ASCAP)  
> Songwriters: Bacharach, Burt/David, Hal  
> Artist(s): The Carpenters  
> Album: Close to You
> 
> Hard Times  
> Lyrics: Copyright Browder & Darnell Co, Inc. (BMI)  
> Songwriter: Darnell, August/Browder, Jr., Stony  
> Artist: Dr. Buzzard’s Original “Savannah” Band  
> Album: Dr. Buzzard’s Original” Savannah” Band
> 
> Acknowledgements
> 
> Columbia Records is a recognized trademark of an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment, which operates as an imprint of the Columbia/Epic Label Group.
> 
> Notes
> 
> Many Thanks to the following:
> 
> My aunt, who still lives in New York City, not too far from where this story takes place. Aunt Theodora is based on her
> 
> Coniraya, who read this and held my hand while I wigged out about it.
> 
> People who have passed in and out of my life and showed me many different ways you can love.


End file.
